The Plaque Test shows plaque at gum margins and between teeth with food dye hygienically applied in schools by the foam strip in the Supertooth kit.
The foam strip can also remove plaque from gum margins and from between teeth and compared with a toothbrush and dental floss. Importantly however, chewing the foam strip helps force saliva and sealants or dental agents inside grooves to help reduce acid attack where over 80% of cavities occur.

The food dye shows the amount of plaque on teeth that can absorb and change fermentable carbohydrate like sugar to acid while eating or drinking.
Acid demineralisaton mainly occurs between teeth and inside grooves where saliva does not have access to neutralise acid and repair demineralised tooth.

The Supertooth Plaque Watch Kit helps compare different ways to remove food and plaque and provide better access for saliva to neutralise acid and repair demineralised tooth after eating. Discuss methods that prevent food being trapped and changed to acid while eating other than avoiding sugar and starch.
You can order and pay for a kit by clicking here or you can make do with other materials below.

Instructions for Kit
Give each participant a paper towel and a strip of dental foam onto which a drop of food dye is placed to wipe over front top teeth to colour plaque . Participants can spread the dye with the tongue and spit excess into the paper towel and see plaque at gum margins and between teeth in a mirror.

The foam strip can  wipe over gum margins to remove plaque and compared to a brush. It can floss between teeth and chews like gum forcing saliva around teeth and inside grooves to neutralise acid and repair demineralised tooth. Gum does not remove plaque like the brush and foam. Why? Click for answer

Brushing Skills clean gum margins.
The toothbrush is very effective at gum margins but not between teeth and inside grooves where almost all cavities occur. Brushing is not always easy after eating and cannot reach inside grooves on chewing surfaces so food is always left on teeth after every meal or snack even when brushing is possible.

Though brushing skills and frequency and skills vary greatly, few cavities occur at gum margins becuse saliva has good access to neutralise acid and repair demineralised tooth. However thourough brushing and flossing to reach plaque between gums and teeth is necessary once a day to prevent gum disease.

Direct bristle ends of a soft flat trim brush that will not damage gums at about 45% towards the gum on the tooth surface moving the bristle ends with a chisel action, into the space between the gum and the tooth and between teeth as much as possible to lift plaque and food particles off all accessible tooth surfaces. Brushing is probably best before breakfast to start the day relativly plaque free and generally reduce food and plaque after eating so and increase saliva access.

Dental foam strips are easy to carry on ones person to clean all tooth surfaces after every meal or snack. They are only in the Supertooth Plaque Watch Kit for schools and are easy to use to wipe over gum margins under finger to remove food and plaque aswell as a toothbrush as can be seen after disclosing plaque on teeth with a food dye. However food is mainly trapped between teeth and inside grooves so they require more attention after eating.

Flossing Skills clean between teeth.
Floss needs to clean the gum and both proximal surfaces between teeth and so a dental floss thread needs to contact one side and then the other between teeth down to the gum margin. The thread needs to be long enough to wind around the centre fonger of each so a short piece is held between the thumb and forefinger of each hand.
The dental foam strip in the kit needs to be comressed between the thumb and forefinger of at least one hand to pass between teeth and have open cells walls that scour both tooth surfaces and gums at once.

Chewing Skills clean inside grooves and best deliver dental agents.
Chewing suitable fibre like celery that forms a chewy bolus without immidiate dispesion and being swallowed and, which absorbs and expells saliva under chewing pressure will clean at least the top halves of teeth and forces saliva inside grooves on chewing surfaces to help remove food and neutralise aid and repair demineralised tooth.

Chewing dental foam that has outer open cells, which fill with saliva and force it around teeth and inside grooves on chewing surfaces removing food and plaque and helping saliva neutralise acid and repair demineralised tooth. However chewing the foam and dental agents together force a saliva mix inside gbrooves more effectivly than saliva alone just as chewing fibre foods force a saliva mix inside grooves. for example chewing cheese alone trapps some cheese inside grooves while chewing cheese and celery together will usyally displace other trapped foods as can be seen in experiments with a glass model of a tooth.

Dental fillings and sealants often last for years but sometimes break down at margins and may not be detected till a cavity suddenly appears. Chewing a sealant food, tablet or confection before eating provides temporary protection while eating and helps remove any trapped food after eating.

Chewing a fibber food like celery or the foam strip in the Supertooth Plaque Watch Kit after eating forces saliva around teeth and inside grooves to help remove food and neutralise acid and repair demineralised tooth during rest periods between meals or snacks.

Answer to Gum does not remove plaque like the brush and foam.
Chewing gum cannot absorb or expell saliva so cannot force saliva inside grooves to neutralise acid and repair demineralised tooth, even though it does help move saliva around mouth. Gum tends to slide over plaque and thin it out rather than scour plaque away like foam strips though gum does mix with food particles to remove them from teeth.

Almost all cavities occur between teeth and inside chewing surface grooves where the brush, toothpaste, mouthwash, chewing gum and saliva cannot reach.