Biofilm: what dental plaque really is

Dental deposit – formerly plaque, today usually called biofilm – consists of bacteria, their metabolic products, food residues and components of saliva. It is not dirt that could be rinsed away but an ordered community that attaches firmly to the tooth surface.

A balance that can tip

In a healthy mouth the bacteria on the mucosa and the teeth are in balance. If that shifts – through inadequate cleaning, through sugar, through smoking or a weakened immune system – the species that trigger inflammation gain the upper hand.

This is why mechanical cleaning cannot be replaced by anything: a biofilm cannot be rinsed away, it has to be removed.