Materia alba is a deposit of disorganised material, milky white in colour, soft and visible to the naked eye. It can accumulate in the cervical area of the teeth and on the oral mucosa. This occurs especially where the mucosal site(s) is(are) poorly subject to mechanical, self-cleaning mechanisms. Materia alba presents as the persistence of a whitish material, which, unlike plaque, can easily be removed mechanically (e.g. by using gauze, water jet (water/air syringe) or an oral irrigator), without leaving any clinical trace.
Materia alba comprises:
- bacteria
- desquamated epithelial cells
- leukocytes
- salivary proteins and food debris.
