Every Domain I fact worth knowing, in one pass: the polish-vs-prophy line, four deposits, the stain taxonomy, the mouth map, and the pre-polish checks.
Coronal polishing removes plaque + extrinsic stain from the clinical crowns — nothing hard, nothing subgingival, nothing diseased. An oral prophylaxis includes scaling (calculus removal) and belongs to the dentist or hygienist. Polishing is not a prophy, not "a cleaning," and never removes calculus.
Pellicle — salivary protein film
Calculus — mineralized plaque
Materia alba — loose white debris
Green/orange (chromogenic bacteria, kids)Rule: polishing removes extrinsic stains only. Ex = out (comes out) · In = built in (stays in).
2 arches · 4 quadrants · 6 sextants. Dentitions: primary (20, A–T), mixed (~6–12 yrs), permanent (32, 1–32). Universal numbering runs a horseshoe from the patient's upper right (#1) → #16 (upper left) → #17 (lower left) → #32 (lower right). Anchors: #8/#9 upper centrals, #24/#25 lower centrals. Surfaces: facial, lingual, occlusal/incisal, proximal (mesial = toward midline, distal = away).
History first: antibiotic premedication (confirm taken), sodium restriction & respiratory disease (air-polishing flags), illness, sensitivity. Then the crowns: coarse abrasives permanently scratch amalgam, composite, gold, and porcelain glaze — finest agent, lightest touch, shortest time around restorations, or skip them.
Review the full lessons any time, or head back to your dashboard.
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