Having a great set of teeth means more than just being attractive or being confident when smiling. A great set of teeth indicates healthy teeth which is crucial for a person’s wellbeing. Do you know that there are conditions affecting the teeth that may actually cause a person to be sick and may need to get into a health centre for treatment? Conditions such as tartar are something that need to be focused on in ensuring good oral hygiene and enabling one to have great teeth.
To understand what is tartar, you may want to know more on plaque first. Plaque is a collection of film-like substances made up of bacteria, saliva, food debris and dead cells. These substances are continuously being deposited on teeth along the gum line. Plaque that is nor removed will be hardened by trapping calcium and other mineral originating from saliva. The hardened plaque is now known as tartar. Do you know that there are more than 500 species of bacteria can be found in plaque? This is why it is important to really take care of your oral hygiene so that these bacteria would not cause dental issues. Worst, these bacteria may even contribute to health issues in general.
Nutrition Tartar, the crust hard deposit tends to trap stains. This can cause discolouration to the teeth. Tartar coats the exterior teeth and can spread below the gum line. Either plaque or tartar, one thing for sure, the biggest reason behind these is the poor oral hygiene. This is especially true when we eat food rich in sugar and starch. These substances in food nourishes the bacteria that is already present in the mouth. Thus, formation of plaques is accelerated, moreover when a person does not brush their teeth well after eating. Apart from the food issues, smoking and having dry mouth can heightened the chances for formation of both plaque and tartar.
If you actually see advertisements on toothpaste or toothbrush, or even oral products, it is rare to see that they emphasise the ability of such products to remove tartar. Have you ever wondered why? Tartar itself is rough and porous in shape. Tartar is hard and attempting to scratch or pulling it can actually damage the teeth. Tartar does make brushing and flossing difficult. This itself will actually lead to cavities and worst, tooth decay. Furthermore, tartar can irritate and damage the gums which leads to progressive gum disease. The earliest and mildest form of progressive gum disease is gingivitis. You may want to check with a dentist on the possibility of gum disease if you frequently find blood when brushing teeth, overly sensitive teeth, bad breath that does not seem to subside and painful chewing.
Gingivitis that is not treated will progress into periodontitis. Periodontitis is characterised by the gums pulling away from the tooth and weakening of the tooth. It may lead to bone supporting the teeth to be lost apart from loosen and fall out. Periodontitis may also be the hallmark of tooth sensitivity. Periodontitis may be incurable when it involves the bones and periodontal ligaments. Periodontitis can be considered as a serious gum disease.
Now, how do you actually remove tartar? There is no other way than getting yourself to the dentist as you will be unable to remove tartar by yourself. Doing it by yourself can damage the teeth and may be causing other dental issues which will require more treatment. Dentists help to remove the tartar by professional cleaning. They may also recommend scaling and root planing in order to prevent additional buildup.
While it is true that not much can be done when tartar is already formed, you can actually take steps to prevent tartar buildup. It starts with the simple oral hygiene of brushing teeth twice a day. You may want to learn the proper way of brushing the teeth so that your teeth are well clean from brushing practices. You may want to practise flossing at least once a day as it helps to clean areas where brushing may have not reached. Aside from oral hygiene, you have to limit the amount of sugar in food and drinks. Eating a healthy meal that is packed with fresh vegetables and fruits and healthy food high in calcium can help you maintain good teeth. It also helps to keep you in shape and healthy in general. Getting regular dental checkups at least once in 6 months can ensure your teeth are in good hands. Those who smoke may want to quit smoking as smoking itself does increase risk for plaque formation and tartar buildup. Smoking itself can increase chances for periodontal disease and oral cancer.
It can be concluded that tartar is formed when plaque is not removed well. Tartar can be caused by bad oral hygiene and be prevented with good oral hygiene practices. While plaque can be removed by brushing, removal of tartar needs dentist help.