Percent of plaque on individual tooth surfaces and differences in plaque area between adjacent teeth in healthy adults.

OBJECTIVES: To apply a planimetric method to determine the percentage of the tooth area covered by plaque on individual tooth surfaces and to compare the percentage of plaque between adjacent tooth surfaces. METHODS: Forty-three adults, mean age 43.0 years, with no signs of periodontal disease, participated. The subjects underwent comprehensive professional cleaning of all teeth. The subjects were then instructed to maintain their ordinary oral hygiene habits. Plaque was registered after 1 month, on each individual tooth surface by use of P%I. RESULTS: The pattern of plaque accumulation was in large symmetrical, with differences in mean P%I between several adjacent tooth surfaces, e.g. for the maxillary buccal and lingual tooth surfaces between the first and second molars (P<0.001) and for the lingual tooth surfaces between the canines and the first premolars (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: In the present study, it was possible to identify and describe adjacent tooth surfaces with the most pronounced plaque accumulation, to make further improvements of oral hygiene possible.