Methods for Tartar Removal

People who have a problem with teeth discoloration usually need a procedure called tartar removal. Tartar is essentially an accumulation of plaque on the teeth. Let’s see how to stop it from forming and how to remove it.

Tartar can become a real problem - it can cause bad breath, destroy enamel after a time and even provoke gum disease, because it can expand below gums.

Tartar cleaning is definitely a vital procedure. The irritation that tartar produces can lead to gum disease. It can start with gingivitis - a dental problem which can be treated and reversed. Symptoms include red, swollen and bleeding when brushing gums. If not taken care of, it can easily develop into parodontosis - a more severe disease which is unfortunately irreversible. In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, it can also cause loose teeth, separation of gums from teeth and pain while chewing.

How to Avoid Tartar Formation

How to prevent yourself from going to the dentist for a heavy tartar removal? The most obvious solution would be practicing dental hygiene on a daily basis. Here are some tips:

• Brush teeth at least twice a day for about two minutes. This will take away the plaque that was formed on the teeth surface during the day.
• Use a soft-bristle brush. Dentists recommend soft-bristle brushes because they do less damage to teeth and gums than hard or even medium-bristle brushes
• Brush at an angle to ensure that all sides of your teeth are taken care of. This will prevent the accumulation of tartar between teeth. This tip is not necessary to follow if you have a brush with angled and multi-layer bristles, but make sure to give attention to the places where teeth and gums meet.

While these tips are helpful and can prevent tartar from forming, it won’t work for everyone. Keeping a perfect dental hygiene requires a lot of time and effort and even then tartar can accumulate on your teeth. Luckily there are lots of ways to remove tartar at home. However, speak with your dentist first as you may have conditions that don’t allow these methods.

• Baking soda. This method is very popular as it’s very easy to do: you just dip a wet toothbrush in baking soda and brush your teeth with it. You should do it carefully and softly though and leave it on for about fifteen minutes, then rinse. Baking soda is not only effective in killing bacteria and neutralizing acids but it’s also a natural way to whiten teeth.
• White vinegar. This method requires to make a mixture of two tbsps of vinegar with a cup of warm saltwater. This substance should be gargled once a day to help soften the tartar. Vinegar can effectively kill bacteria and prevent infection. However, be very careful as vinegar can be dangerous.
• Orange peels. There are two ways of doing it: to remove tartar from teeth you may just rub the inside of the peels on your teeth or make a paste from the mashed bits on the inside of the peel and a bit of water. This paste is applied to the teeth and brushed. Citric acid and vitamin C combine forces to kill the bacteria and prevent tartar from forming.

We should state once again that these methods should only be performed after speaking to your dentist. A specialist may not recommend some of the procedures of tartar removal due to your health conditions.

Tartar Removal Methods

Dental tartar removal requires a visit to your dentist. A professional has a number of ways to remove this hardened plaque from your teeth:

• Dental cleaning. This procedure can be performed regularly. This removes tartar that has started to build up, but it won’t help if it’s been accumulating for a long time.
• Scraping. The dentist may use a metal scaler to scrape away the tartar. This is not too healthy for the enamel, unfortunately, but it’s better to remove the tartar as quickly as possible.
• Teeth scaling. If there is an excessive amount of tartar and it has caused some sort of gum disease, the dentist may conduct a procedure called teeth scaling. This is when the dentist scrapes away all the tartar and plaque above and below gumline, reaching all the way down to the pocket where the tooth sits. They make sure to remove tartar behind teeth, tartar between teeth and from anywhere else it may hide. Then the dentist begins root planning and smoothing out the teeth to reattach them to the gums.
• Ultrasonic tartar removal. During this procedure, the ultrasounds resonate the tartar off the enamel without doing any harm to the teeth. The enamel is much harder than the tartar sticking to it. This procedure is very effective as it can remove very small accumulations of tartar without the risk of scratching the enamel or gums too hard.

The best way to remove tartar in our opinion is ultrasonic tartar removal. It is gentle and doesn’t require a scraper. With a scraper, the dentist may scrub off some amounts of enamel and it may result in sensitive teeth or expose the tooth for infections. Ultrasonic method also doesn’t do any damage to the teeth roots and it is essential. There’s little to no risk and that’s why this procedure is one of the most effective ones. However, it’s up to you and your dentist to decide which method will be used. We hope that you won’t need this advice, but it’s still good to know.

In addition, here are some more tips on how to prevent yourself from going to the dentist for tartar cleaning:

• Tartar-control toothpaste. If you experience excessive plaque buildup, try tartar-control toothpaste. Studies say that they are quite effective and they can help reduce the amount of tartar and intensity of its growth.
• Whitening strips. This method proved to be effective in preventing tartar from accumulating on teeth. Water flosser and mouthwash.
• Water flosser can be a very effective device in fighting tartar when used properly. It can wash away the plaque in hard-to-reach areas and tartar between teeth. In addition, a mouthwash can kill the bacteria in these places and also help to remove accumulating plaque and tartar.
• Diet. A good and healthy diet is not only key to a healthy lifestyle. Your teeth also benefit from it. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, for example, requires you to chew - saliva that is secreted during this process helps to wash away excessive plaque and tartar behind teeth. In addition, some of the acids these fruits contain can kill the bacteria. When it comes to drinking, green tea has been proven to help fight the bacteria in the mouth.

The best tip we can give is to go to regular dental check-ups and keep your dental hygiene on point. If you stick to it, you’ll most likely never experience the issue of excessive tartar buildup. We hope that you’ll never have to face it, but this problem, unfortunately, is very widespread. It’s better to be prepared and practice various methods to prevent tartar from accumulating.