Plaque+Record

Plaque Control Record Category: Oral Hygiene Reversible

Purpose
 * Records the presence of biofilm on tooth surfaces (can be 4: mesial, distal, buccal, lingual or can be 6 :distal buccal, direct buccal, mesial buccal, mesial lingual, direct lingual, distal lingual). This index allows the patient to visualize progress while learning biofilm control. All teeth that are present are included in this index.

Procedure
 * Apply disclosing agent or chewable tablet that the patient can chew up and swish around then spit out.
 * Look at each tooth for plaque at the gingival margin. In this index there is no attempt to record the quantity of biofilm.
 * This index is recorded by first crossing out missing teeth and then coloring in or placing a dash on the diagram where the plaque is on the tooth.

Scoring
 * Count all teeth present. Multiply by the surfaces.
 * Total number of teeth multiplied by the surfaces on each tooth.
 * Count all the surfaces that had were recorded as having plaque.
 * The equation in surfaces w/plaque divided by the total number of surfaces.
 * Then to get a percentage take the last number and multiply by 100.

What does it mean for the patient
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 18px;">Patient can see the areas that are being missed.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 18px;">Can compare scores to previous appts.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 18px;">Have a goal. (reducing the percentage by 10%.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 18px;">Areas that are repeatedly missed can be readdressed with oral hygiene instructions.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 18px;">Ashley Yanez

<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 18px;">References:

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Wilkins, Esther M. Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist. 10th edition. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 329-330.