If you look at your teeth closely, you might be able to spot the presence of tartar. Known as dental calculus, it can make your teeth and gums look unpleasant. But it can also cause several clinical issues with your teeth and gums, and it’s important to prevent tartar formation. However, if you already have substantial tartar, you’re likely wondering how you can remove it from your teeth.
Well, in this post, we’ll be looking at how to do just that. But to understand how to remove it, it’s essential to know what tartar is and what it can do to your dental health if not removed.
What Is Tartar? How Is It Different From Plaque?
Dental plaque is a sticky biofilm formed from saliva, bacteria, fungi, and food particles in the human mouth. Normally, your oral hygiene routine of brushing and flossing is effective at disrupting this film. This prevents it from accumulating on the interior surfaces of the mouth.
However, due to poor oral hygiene or excessive consumption of sugars, plaque can accumulate on the surfaces of teeth. Once the film is firmly attached to the teeth, over 1000 different species of bacteria can begin thriving within it.
As the plaque begins to develop, something really interesting happens. Minerals such as calcium phosphate precipitate into the plaque through your saliva. This kills bacterial cells but hardens and calcifies the plaque, firmly adhering it to the tooth’s surface.
There is now a rough, hard layer of tartar, and it becomes easier for more of it to develop due to the roughened surface. So, how can you remove tartar from your teeth?
How To Remove Tartar From Teeth
As we’ve discussed in the previous section, tartar is hard because of its mineral content. However, this also means that it’s impossible to remove yourself with a toothbrush or special toothpaste. Instead, a dental hygienist must perform a “debridement,” that is, they must remove the tartar deposits manually.
You might be wondering why you can’t just do this yourself. Well, not only is the plaque hard, but it requires special tools to identify and remove. Dentists use a disclosing gel that stains the plaque to differentiate it from healthy enamel. Then, they use instruments like ultrasonic cleaners and periodontal scalers to scrape the plaque away. They are skilled in using the instruments so that they do not damage healthy teeth or gums. Plus, they can see inside your mouth much better than you can by yourself, allowing them to do a more thorough job.
The Bottom Line
Removing tartar buildup from your teeth is very important for the health of your teeth and gums and the prevention of diseases. But since going to a qualified, professional dentist is a much better way of accomplishing it, we recommend that you go that route instead of attempting to do it yourself.
Vintage Oral Surgery prides itself on providing excellent surgical care with a compassionate approach. We understand that oral surgery can be intimidating, so we use our vast experience and advanced 3D imaging techniques. This allows us to ensure that every patient is comfortable and confident with the success of their surgery. If you’d like to schedule an appointment or have any questions, give us a call at (281) 800-8852.
We look forward to helping you.