PLAQUE FORMATION
1. PELLICLE FORMATION –
a. A thin layer of salivary glycoprotiens (ie. Made of saliva, mainly composed of
proteins, not carbohydrates okay!) is formed on the tooth surface within minutes of polishing.
b. They serve as attachment sites for bacteria

1. ADHESION AND ATTACHMENT OF BACTERIA
   a. Within minutes
   b. Initial adhesion is due to weak reversible VAN DER WAALS forces
   c. Firm attachment is due to strong irreversible interactions btwn the molecules on bacteria(adhesion molecules on them) and host pellicle receptors on tooth

2. COLONIZATION AND PLAQUE MATURATION
   a. Within 24-48hrs
   b. Firmly attached primary people provide new receptors for other bacteri through a process called CO-ADHESION
   c. As the bacteria grow in number and the biofilm that is formed in the process matures, there is a shift from G+ve to anaerobic G-ve

 Materia Alba – unorganised structure DIFFERS FROM
 Plaque – organised matrix
 Plaque formation in a cleansed tooth begins – after 1 hour** - bacteria starts coming back and building colonies.
 24 hours is to compete maturation- the take taken to form plaque