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david98 · 01-18-2013, 09:45 PM

plaque is a biofilm that creates on a tooth in about 24 hours and causes the tooth to decay.

when i go to see the dental hygienist she takes a lot of plaque off my teeth.

my Q is: if there was a lot of plaque for a long time how come there weren't any cavities?

i m curious about that whole subject and couldn't find any answer on the internet so far.
thanks

riptoff · 01-18-2013, 11:31 PM

Plaque is a soft material composed mainly of bacteria which adheres to teeth and soft tissues in the mouth. What the hygenist is removing is calculus
( tartar) which is a calcified material coming mostly from saliva which is a supersaturated solution responsible for re-mineralising tooth enamel to counter early decay. It occurs mainly behind the lower incisors and the upper molars because that is where the salivary glands open into the mouth.
Cavities are never found under calculus, but under plaque. The plaque bacteria metabolise sugar to acid which eats away at tooth substance.

david98 · 01-19-2013, 06:50 AM

that was some compressive and detailed answer
it made clear the things i was mixing up - plaque and calculus
glad i came here

david98 · 02-15-2013, 08:41 PM

In this post it's being said that plaque - unmoved becomes tarter after a couple of days. starts at 0:30
it contradict what you said about plaque and tartar being unlinked.

riptoff · 02-16-2013, 06:43 AM

Not quite David, the gnotobiotic rat ( raised in germ-free environment) can still get calculus. All plaque does not progress to calculus. Think about where calculus forms- behind the lower incisors and beside the upper molars, because the salivary glands open in these positions.

riptoff · 02-21-2013, 01:32 AM

The worst foods for tooth decay are sticky and crunchy as they adhere to the tooth surface, especially areas which are difficult to clean such as the fissures in molars.. Dried fruit is probably not the worst as the sugar is unrefined. So far as calculus is concerned that which is found above the gum is not too serious but below the gumline it causes gum disease by trapping the plaque and destroying the fibres that connect the tooth to the bone. This is periodontal disease, which is difficult to treat but simple to prevent.

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