A method of cleaning an oral cavity, the method including positioning a device suitable for detecting and removing plaque from a surface of the oral cavity within the oral cavity, cleaning and irradiating the surface of a tooth in the oral cavity, the tooth having applied thereto a fluorescent agent, with incident radiation of a wavelength effective to provide a fluorescent emission when contacted with the fluorescent agent on the tooth, collecting at least a portion of the fluorescent emission over a first time period, determining a first average fluorescent emission value (APV1), collecting at least a portion of the fluorescent emission over a second time period, determining a second average plaque value (APV2); and comparing the APV1 to the APV2.