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Dental plaque

(Science: dentistry) a soft, thin film of food debris, mucin and dead epithelial cells deposited on the teeth, providing the medium for the growth of various bacteria.

The main inorganic components are calcium and phosphorus with small amounts of magnesium, potassium and sodium, the organic matrix consists of polysaccharides, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and other components.

plaque plays an important aetiological role in the development of dental caries and periodontal and gingival diseases and provides the base for the development of materia alba, calcified plaque forms dental calculus.