Do you apply the "80-20 rule" at work? The 80-20 rule, or Pareto principle,1 is the idea that a relatively small percentage of any cause (20%) creates most of the subsequent effects (80%). In a business context, this means that 80% of a company’s business stems from 20% of its customers.
In dentistry, teeth make up only 20% of the surface area of the mouth, with the other 80% including interproximal spaces, the dorsum of the tongue and cheeks, and below the gumline; all reservoirs and niches for biofilm.2 There is a similar 80-20 situation happening with biofilm: 20% are pathogens and 80% is a slime layer composed of self-secreted glycoproteins and polysaccharides that is difficult to penetrate.3 Brushing and interproximal cleaning alone is not enough to disrupt biofilm. With a new-generation rinse now available, it’s time to revisit recommendations
