English
Clean and healthy teeth ... with Philips!
Teeth are essential for a good digestion and also play an important role in
speech. Furthermore, sound teeth are one of the prerequisites for an
attractive appearance.
Unfortunately, teeth are often prematurely lost due to dental decay and
inflammation of the gums. This is mainly caused by dental plaque.
What is dental plaque?
Dental plaque is a soft and sticky film which continually develops on teeth.
It has almost the same colour as teeth and mainly consists of bacteria
which occur normally in the mouth.
As long as plaque is still soft, it can easily be removed.
If not removed timely, plaque will start to calcify. This hard, calcified
plaque is called “tartar”.
New soft plaque will easily adhere to the rough surface of this tartar. As
tartar is usually firmly stuck to the tooth, it must be removed by a dentist or
dental hygienist.
Fig. 1 shows a section of a tooth. The root of the tooth is joined to the
jawbone by strong tissue, called periodontium.
The jawbone is covered by gums or gingiva.
Gums, jawbone and periodontium together form the supporting tissue.
What are the effects of plaque?
The bacteria in the plaque produce an acid which can dissolve the enamel
of the teeth and the dentine beneath it. This will cause dental decay
(caries).
The bacteria also form substances which may cause inflammation of the
gums (gingivitis) or decay of the supporting tissue (periodontitis).
This process is illustrated in fig. 2: the shallow groove around the tooth
has become a deep pocket filled with plaque and tartar.
If the inflammation of the gums is allowed to continue for too long, it may
lead to destruction of the periodontium and gradual loss of the jawbone.
Inflamed gums are generally red and swollen and often bleed when the
teeth are brushed.
Eventually, this may result in the tooth coming loose or falling out (fig. 3).
Thorough and regular removal of plaque will prevent gingivitis from
starting and will help stop the spread of periodontitis.
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