Main tasks are inspection and removal of plaque. Plaque is a white-yellowish film on the teeth that composites of several different bacterias and their products.
It especially adheres to gingival edges and inter dental spaces. Over time it expands and changes its bacterial composition. Acids, produced by sugar metabolizing organisms, are involved in the formation of caries. Tartar is old, calcified plaque. It emits such an intense stimulus, that the dental apparatus becomes sore and it might even lead to bone loss (periodontitis).