Making plaque visible

Although plaque is easily felt when the tongue is brushed over individual teeth (plaque covered teeth feel increasingly rough, dull and uneven), it is not always visible to the naked eye. To make plaque visible, various preparations (in tablet form or as solutions) can be used. The ingredients of these preparations react with different components of plaque and thus take on a specific coloration.

Plaque can thus be easily recognized as such and removed more effectively. Preparations to make plaque visible: The advantage compared to plaque-detecting tablets is the comparatively low price. Both the handling of the plaque detection solution and the application of the tablets is quite simple.

In addition, some manufacturers offer special gels and pastes that make plaque visible on a food coloring basis. Especially the preparations in gel form are very easy and clean to use. The advantage of this method is the fact that in addition to differentiating between older and new plaque, those areas are also shown which have a particularly high bacterial load (i.e. high risk of plaque).

Plaque detector tablets: These staining tablets usually consist of substances that react with certain components of plaque (usually with protein or sugar residues) and thereby stain the teeth on the basis of food colouring. This way of making the plaque visible can be used without hesitation, there is no risk of tooth damage or organ damage when swallowed. Most plaque-detecting tablets are not only able to make the plaque visible to the eye, they can also distinguish between old and new plaque.
Most manufacturers use a blue dye to reveal older plaque (more than 48 hours old) and a red (or pink) dye to reveal new plaque. The color remains can be easily removed afterwards with a toothbrush or with interdental space brushes and dental floss and leave no residue.
Detector solutions: The detector solution can be drizzled onto a cotton swab or brush and then applied to the tooth surface in a targeted manner. These preparations are also made of food coloring and can therefore be used without hesitation.
There is no danger to teeth, gums or the digestive tract.
Special mouthrinses Special mouthrinses to make plaque visible are especially suitable for children, because they are very easy to use and already after 30-60 seconds a clear color change in plaque-filled areas. The disadvantage of these mouthrinses is the fact that in most cases it is not possible to differentiate between older and fresh plaque. The typical detector mouth rinsing solutions are only used as an aid for brushing teeth.

Staining tablets are a means to improve one’s own oral hygiene.

The food dye erythrosine stains dental plaque in the mouth and ensures accurate identification of harmful plaque. In the meantime, even two-colored tablets are offered, where the darker color makes the older plaque visible. They are especially suitable for children to check their cleaning.

You can show the little ones where they need to be more thorough. However, they should be handled with care, as they can also stain clothes and towels. This topic might also be of interest to you: Dental care for children