A Dental Game for Kids, Free in Your Browser
Plaque Patrol is our toothbrush arcade game. Pop the cheeky plaque blobs with toothpaste bubbles before they reach the teeth. It is free, there is nothing to download, and it plays on a phone, tablet or laptop.
How to Play Plaque Patrol
On a phone or tablet
Drag your thumb inside the game to slide the toothbrush along the bottom. Bubbles fire while you hold.
On a laptop
The left and right arrow keys move the toothbrush. Hold the space bar to send up a stream of bubbles.
What you are aiming at
Plaque blobs drop in waves. Pop each one before it reaches the teeth at the bottom of the screen.
Sound and pausing
Sound starts off, so it is safe to open in a waiting room. Tap pause at any time and pick the game up later.
What the Game Does Not Do
Plaque Patrol is a short arcade game. It is not a brushing timer, and the bubbles are not how plaque comes off in real life.
Brushing is what counts: twice a day for about two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste, last thing at night and on one other occasion. Children need an adult to help or supervise until they are around seven, and spitting rather than rinsing keeps the fluoride working. The NHS guide to keeping teeth clean sets out the detail.
If brushing is a nightly argument in your house, bring it up at the next appointment. It is one of the most common things we are asked about in children's dentistry, and a change of brush, paste or routine often settles it.
Dental Game Questions
Is this dental game free to play?
Yes. Plaque Patrol is free, it runs in the browser, and there is nothing to download or install. There are no adverts and no in-game purchases.
What age is the game for?
It suits primary school children, roughly five and over, and younger children playing alongside an adult. The controls are one thumb on a phone or two arrow keys on a laptop.
Does it work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Drag inside the game to move the toothbrush on a touchscreen. On a laptop or desktop, the left and right arrow keys move, and holding the space bar fires bubbles.
Does playing the game improve brushing?
The game is a bit of fun rather than a brushing timer or a lesson. What improves brushing is doing it twice a day for about two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste, and an adult helping until a child is about seven.
Do you collect any data from players?
No. The game stores no names, scores or gameplay data, and the sound stays off until you switch it on.
Can we play it in the waiting room?
Yes, and many children do. If your child is nervous about a visit, tell us when you book and we will give the appointment more time.
Book the Check-Up, Keep the Game
We look after families across Harlow and Enfield, on the NHS and privately. NHS dental care is free for under-18s, and a first visit can be as simple as a ride in the chair and a count of the teeth.
See what a visit covers in our dental check-ups, or read about children's dentistry before you book.