This sticky film forms on teeth when bacteria in the mouth mix with sugary or starchy foods. Tooth brushing and flossing get rid of plaque. If you don't remove plaque, it hardens into tartar. Plaque can lead to cavities, gingivitis (gum disease) and tooth loss.
Poor oral hygiene: Most commonly, plaque and tartar buildup is the result of bad dental habits. Great oral hygiene is needed to clean away these particles on a daily basis. Snacking habits: The more often you snack throughout the day, the more fuel your natural oral bacteria have to create plaque and tartar.
Calcium that cannot be utilized due to lack of vitamin D will often present itself as tartar formation on the teeth, leading to gum disease. Patients who have a fast build-up of hard tartar on their teeth often have a vitamin D deficiency.
Plaque is a sticky substance made from leftover food particles and saliva that mix in your mouth. If you don't brush properly after meals, it begins to form and build up on your teeth. This is problematic because plaque contains bacteria, which can contribute to tooth decay and gum disease.
The best way to remove the build-up of plaque and tartar on your teeth is by brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Daily flossing and using an antiseptic mouthwash will help to keep bacteria at bay in hard-to-reach areas.
Plaque develops when foods containing carbohydrates (sugars and starches), such as milk, soft drinks, raisins, cakes, or candy are frequently left on the teeth. Bacteria that live in the mouth thrive on these foods, producing acids as a result.
Tartar can lead to oral health issues.
At first, tartar causes irritation of the gums, which can ultimately lead to an infection called gingivitis. Gingivitis, in turn, is the first stage of gum disease—a very serious condition that has been linked to heart disease, stroke, premature birth, and respiratory illness.
Like plaque, tartar can contribute to developing gingivitis and periodontal disease. But unlike plaque, simple brushing and flossing won't do much to remove tartar. Tartar fuses to the enamel of your teeth, making it a permanent dental issue that only a professional can remove.
Even if you brush and floss daily, there's still potential for calculus and tartar buildup. Calculus is hardened plaque made from a combination of protein materials in our mouth such as saliva.
Tartar is hardened plaque that can only be removed during a cleaning by a dental hygienist. The impact plaque can have on your oral health is easily treatable and even reversible. The damage caused by tartar can cost far more to repair and may be irreversible depending the severity of the damage done.
But in addition to your habits and environment, the American Dental Association has demonstrated a link between genetics and higher bacteria buildup.
If plaque is not removed on a regular basis, such as through brushing and flossing, it hardens within 24 to 72 hours and becomes tartar. The tartar buildup can make it difficult to brush and floss properly, leading to cavities, gum disease, and bad breath.
In fact, it can't actually be removed at home or scrubbed away with a toothbrush. Because it has hardened and solidified, it can't be budged with just a brush and good intentions. Tartar removal needs to be carried out professionally from within a dentist's office and by a dental hygienist.
In case of excessive tartar buildup, the dentist may recommend you a procedure called deep cleaning that combines scaling and root planing. At times, ultrasonic instruments may also be used by your dentist to remove tartar.
Tartar build-up can start to damage teeth within only a few months. The earlier tartar is removed, the better. If you develop periodontitis because of your tartar, gaps can form between the tooth and gums.
The process of tartar removal may or may not be painful and is dependent on several factors. If you have sensitive teeth or diseases like gingivitis or periodontitis, removing tartar will be somewhat painful.
When tartar appears above the gum line, it may be brown, tan, or yellow and often grows to cover larger areas of the teeth when not removed. When tartar builds up below the gum line, it may be black or brown and may lead to periodontal disease, bone loss, receding gums, and tooth loss.
"Making plaque disappear is not possible, but we can shrink and stabilize it," says cardiologist Dr. Christopher Cannon, a Harvard Medical School professor. Plaque forms when cholesterol (above, in yellow) lodges in the wall of the artery.
If the dentist or dental hygienist spots tartar on the surface of the teeth, they will remove it with an instrument called a scaler. A scaler is a device that has a hook on the end of it, and it is used to remove tartar above and below the gum line.
This study found that the ACV group showed a significant decrease in plaque accumulation at each time (from T0 to T6), showing that apple cider vinegar dissolves dental plaque.
Thus, the conclusion is that that you should not scrape off tartar at home. It is dangerous and can cause problems worse than tartar buildup. Going to the dentist is the best option if you want to get scraping or scaling done.
When plaque builds up on teeth and isn't properly removed it forms into a hard substance known as tartar. Initially, tartar above the gum line has a yellowish hue, however, if left untreated it will turn into green, brown or black tartar. Tartar below the gum line is black in color.
You just have to brush your teeth and floss well. Even your natural saliva helps wash away some of the plaque. However, if you don't remove all the plaque effectively, it quickly hardens into tartar, which is impervious to brushing and flossing.