What are plaque disclosing tablets?
Plaque disclosing tablets are tablets that identify plaque in the mouth to highlight areas that may need a little more love in your oral hygiene routine. They are used as a tool to help children improve their brushing skills and easily point out where in their mouth they may need more brushing.
What is in a plaque disclosing tablet?
These tablets are made from a vegetable dye that sticks to plaque naturally. The brighter the dye in the mouth, the more plaque buildup there is. This dye is harmless and kid-friendly, but the child must fully understand not to swallow the solution.
Benefits
Plaque disclosing tablets are great for preventing the build up of tartar, which is the next stage in plaque development. Plaque is harder to identify than tartar, so it’s great to have a method to identify the plaque before it becomes a problem.
Safety
As long as your child meets one or more of the following criteria, plaque disclosing tablets should be safe to use.
- Children over the age of 6 who are still learning how to brush thoroughly
- People with limited manual dexterity
- Anyone with braces (flossing with braces can be tricky)
- People with receding gums or gum disease
- People with certain chronic medical conditions
How can you use the tablets?
Though you can use these tablets more frequently, it is mostly recommended to use them once or twice a week. Here are the steps to using the tablets!
- Child brushes teeth as normal
- Break the tablet down into smaller pieces for the child
- Child chews the tablet and swishes in mouth for about 30 seconds
- Child spits out the solution- very important!!
- See where the dye is sticking.
- Create a plan to target the dyed areas.
Don’t forget to read the instructions on the box to be sure of the method you’re using.
