What is the difference between plaque in adults and plaque in children?
In adults, plaque bacteria on the visible surfaces of the teeth (supragingival) are different from the bacteria in the gingival crevice (subgingival space) which are more Gram-negative and anaerobic species. In contrast, plaque bacteria on the visible surfaces of the teeth (supragingival) in children are similar to those in the gingival crevice (subgingival space), where there are more Gram-negative and anaerobic species than other sites in the oral cavity.