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Dental plaque

Also called: tooth plaque
A sticky film that coats teeth and contains bacteria.
  • Treatable by a medical professional
  • Requires a medical diagnosis
  • Lab tests or imaging not required
  • Medium-term: resolves within months
If dental plaque isn't removed when it's soft, it hardens and becomes difficult to remove. Dental plaque can damage a tooth and lead to tooth decay or tooth loss.
Very common: More than 3 million US cases per year
Consult a doctor for medical advice Sources: Mayo Clinic and others. Learn more

Learn to pronounce plaque

/plak/
noun
  1. an ornamental tablet, typically of metal, porcelain, or wood, that is fixed to a wall or other surface in commemoration of a person or event.
    synonyms: memorial tablet, plate, stone plate, metal plate, tablet, panel, sign, brass, medallion, plaquette, cartouche
  2. a sticky deposit on teeth in which bacteria proliferate.
    "plaque around gum margins can lead to gingivitis"
  3. a small, distinct, typically raised patch or region resulting from local damage or deposition of material, such as a fatty deposit on an artery wall in atherosclerosis or a site of localized damage of brain tissue in Alzheimer's disease.

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