Mechanical Methods for Fighting Bacterial Plaque

Main way of removing the bacterial plaque is dental and gum brushing, which targets:

- the removal of bacterial plaque, of soft debris from all accessible dental surfaces and the adjacent gums
- the stimulation of circulation, nervous endings and renewal of upper keratin gum layer, all leading to the improvement of functional tonus
Normal dental and gum brushing is done using common toothbrushes, or electrical toothbrushes. It’s recommended the use of a brush that has either natural or synthetic hairs, of soft-medium hardness maintained properly, correctly washed after each use, changed/disposed off at the first sings of deterioration, usually after a period of 1 to 3 months.

General rules for dental brushing:

1) the brushing method used has to assure the cleaning of each and every dental surfaces;
2) the brushing starts from one side (left or right) of a dental chain (lower or upper), from the dental surface facing the inner cheek and continues to the opposite side, returning to the starting side, but brushing the dental surface facing the tongue; the brushing continues with the other dental chain;
3) when the brush moves to a new dental surface it has to partially cover the dental surface which was last brushed;
4) brushing will begin on the dental surfaces that accumulate the most dental plaque;
5) the order of dental surfaces brushed will be changed during the day so that no dental surface is always brushed last.
6) brushing will take place at least twice a day for at least 3-5 minutes each time

Key words

- bacterial plaque - a film of mucus and bacteria deposited on the teeth that encourages the development of dental cavities