TYPES OF DENTAL DEPOSIT AND ITS ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CARIES AND PERIODONTAL DISEASE
According to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) dental deposits are classified as follows: ► K.03.6 plaque on the teeth
• K.03.60 pigmented plaque
• K.03.61 plaque caused by using tobacco
• K.03.62 plaque caused by chewing betel
• K.03.63 other extensive soft deposits
• K.03.64 supragingival calculus
• K.03.65 subgingival calculus
• K.03.66 dental plaque
• K.03.68 other specified deposits
• K.03.69 other unspecified deposits
Also, dental plaque is divided into 2 groups: serum and salivary. Non-mineralized dental plaque includes the cuticle, pellicle, soft plaque and dental plaque. Mineralized deposits are supragingival and subgingival calculus.
Non-mineralized dental plaque
Cuticle is present on the teeth immediately after eruption and represents the remnants of the enamel organ. On the occlusal surface of teeth cuticle is removed by food during chewing. In the neck of the tooth it is attached to the cuticle of gingival epithelium, forming enamelogingival junction.
Pellicle is a derivative of salivary glycoprotein. Its thickness is 0.1-0.9 microns, and it is attached to the tooth surface by Van der Waals hydrophobic and electrostatic forces. Pellicle presents on the surface of the tooth after being removed during professional oral hygiene: in 2 hours time it is back there again.
Pellicle plays an ambiguous role: on the one hand, it protects the hydroxyapa-tite crystals from acid, on the other, it promotes attachment of microorganisms to the surface of the tooth.
Soft plaque is structureless, consisting of food debris, epithelial cell of the oral cavity and microorganisms (the first microorganisms attaching to the pellicle after toothbrushing are Streptococcus sanguis, Actinomices viscosus and Streptococcus mutans). Soft plaque can be removed by vigorous rinsing or using a toothbrush.