Hygienic foam strips (left)
apply a drop of food dye to show plaque on teeth. The strip can remove
plaque from gum margins like a toothbrush without the need of toothpaste
or water and from between teeth like dental floss (right). At home
add a few drops of food dye from the pantry to a spoon and place it in
the mouth, swish and wipe over front teeth with the tongue to see plaque
at gum margins and between teeth in a mirror. Try a few tests.
Swish with water or saliva.
Some colour may diminish but less so at gum margins where plaque is thickest.
Try removing plaque from
one tooth with a brush. Note that a chisel action directing bristle ends
towards gum is more effective than a paint brush action.
Try the corner of a towel
or handkerchief and chewing celery to see the effects of each. Note the
fibre bolus of celery cam be maneuvered under the lip.
The foam strip is soft and chewy with outer open cells that not only scour plaque and food from teeth under finger pressure but fill with saliva while chewing and force saliva inside grooves on chewing surfaces where 80% of cavities occur and the brush cannot reach. The chewing experience is more enjoyable with a small piece of chewing gum (Cut a strip of sugarless gum into 8 pieces. Excess gum prevents the foam strip absorb and expel saliva)
The Glass Model of a groove
is simply two strips of glass clamped together with a teflon gasket to
represent the small groove in chewing surfaces where food is trapped each
time we eat. Plaque changes sugar and starch in food to acid which demineralises
tooth.
The photo below shows the
Glass model of a groove on chewing surfaces of back teeth and a roll of
teflon tape in the middle and one of the foam strips that are in the Kit.
The toothbrush and chewing gum pieces can be easily obtained locally for
extended experiments.
Most Glaziers will cut two 20mm wide 80mm long strips of scrap glass and smooth sharp edges to clamp together with teflon gaskets at each end to simulate chewing of different foods and how fibre foods like celery or the dental foam strip an remove trapped food.
Saliva can neutralise acid
and repair demineralised tooth but it does not have access between teeth
or inside grooves where almost all cavities occur.
The glass model shows how
chewing forces most foods inside grooves and how some fibre foods like
celery help displace trapped foods.
The foam strip helps force
saliva and foods, even toothpaste inside grooves to displace trapped foods.
Some hard to displace foods like cheese seal grooves and prevent most food
being trapped while eating.
Keep half an egg shell and seat it in an egg cup or milk bottle top of vinegar to see how acid left on teeth causes demineralisation.
When having x-rays at the dentist it is possible to chew Barium Sulphate with the dental foam to see where food is trapped inside chewing surfaces. This helps the dentist advise mineralisation therapy, sealants or fillings if necessary when a cavity is seen inside the tooth.
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