Project Management, Sustainability and Whole Lifecycle Thinking Explaining Dental Biofilm to a Client

While showing Pamela the pink/purple disclosing stain on her teeth, she comments "oh-that is from my lunch earlier today. I did not have time to brush before the appointment." Respond to her comment by explaining what the disclosing solution showed.

Lark, while I understand your concerns about the results of your recent dental biofilm examination, I would like to take some time to explain the diagnosis in more detail to help alleviate those concerns. First, it is important to remember that dental biofilm is not a disease, nor does it result from poor dental habits on your part, as these naturally occurring collections of bacterial communities are simply microorganisms functioning as nature intended. You have probably heard of plaque, while that oral health issue is widely known, and the data obtained from empirical studies during the last decade shows that plaque is simply one manifestation of dental biolfilm (Reddy et al., 2012). Nonetheless, the presence of this biofilm on your teeth or tongue is a serious matter, because modern dental science has shown that these bacterial communities can cause a number of harmful oral and periodontal diseases. The disclosing solution we administered earlier utilizes a simple food coloring solution, along with erythrosin, a coal-tar derivative (Che'rel et al., 2008) to bind to the microbial structure...

Everybody develops dental biofilm throughout the course of their lives, and the only viable remedy is the regular removal of the substance through teeth scraping, professional prophylaxis, scaling, and root planning in an effort to halt clinical detachment loss (Collins, 2004).
2.) "How does biofilm develop/form on my teeth? What is biofilm made from?"

No matter how often you brush your teeth or use mouthwash, the natural textures of your teeth, gums and tongue, along with continually active salivary glands, will always provide dental biofilm with the moist, warm, nutrient-rich surface it needs to thrive. Biofilms are unique distinguished from planktonic bacteria because they are considered mutualistic communities, complete with a recognizable 3 -- dimensional structure and complex nutritional and communicative pathways (Hiyari & Bennett, 2011). Biofilm is made up of a complex coating which covers the tongue, gums, and teeth on a microscopic level, consisting of hundreds of unique species of bacteria.

3.) "What is the significance of having biofilm on my teeth?"

The presence of dental biofilm does not single you out by many means; in fact, every patient I have ever treated has dealt with this issue in one way or another. The significance of your personal dental biofilm diagnosis will mainly be a matter…