Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

How can you keep your smile happy and cavity free?

Q:?

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

All the time, a white sticky film builds up on our teeth. This gets thicker if you don’t brush

your teeth, does anyone know what this is called?

A: Dental Plaque

Q:?

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

Let us take a closer look

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

Dental Plaque

Tooth Enamel

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

What do you think is in Dental Plaque?

Q:?

A: Bacteria!

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

There are over 1000 different types of Bacteria which make up Dental plaque, the main one being Streptococcus mutans

These bacteria are ball shaped and usually join to form chains

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

What do you think plaque bacteria like to eat?

OR

Q:?

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

Yummy!

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

Can you think of some examples of foods and drinks that contain sugar?•

Q:?

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

What do you think this bacteria does to the tooth after eating it’s sugary food?

Which give you a

toothache

Q:?

A: They dissolve the enamel so holes (cavities)appear

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

How can you get rid of these bacteria?

Q:?

Prevention of Infection: Oral Hygiene

Brushing last thing before going to bed and in the

morning with a pea sized amount of fluoride toothpaste

helps remove the plaque and bacteria.

After brushing it is important to

spit not rinse

to leave some of the fluoride to protect the teeth from the bacteria