Assessing toothbrushing
Assessing toothbrushing
Gingival health is a useful indicator of tooth cleaning over time. Assessing and recording levels of visible plaque at each examination, and sharing this information with the child and their parent/carer, will help reinforce the importance of effective toothbrushing. An example of a quick method of recording plaque levels, and presenting the information in terms the child will understand, is to give marks out of 10 as follows.
Illustration of plaque scoring (from left to right): perfectly clean tooth 10/10; plaque line around the cervical margin 8/10; cervical third of the crown covered 6/10; middle third covered 4/10.
The worst score in each sextant is recorded, for example:
| 8/10 | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| 8/10 | 6/10 | 8/10 |
It is also important to assess the surface of open carious lesions for plaque that is visible or evident when an instrument is gently drawn across the surface of the lesion, particularly if considering managing the lesion with a prevention-alone approach (see Site-specific prevention).
Assess whether the gingiva appear healthy or whether there is inflammation indicative of poor plaque removal.
Consider recording plaque scores at each examination, particularly if the child is assessed as at increased caries risk.
Record the presence of plaque on the surface of open carious lesions at recall visits for lesions where the prevention-alone management strategy has previously been selected (see Site-specific prevention).