Have you ever noticed some yellowish discolouration on your tooth? Especially near the gum margin or in between the teeth? Or a blackish lining on the insides of your upper teeth? Ever wondered what this is and why it just doesn’t seem to go away no matter how hard you brush? Well this could be a “tartar” buildup.
What is Tartar?
Tartar is nothing but a layer of plaque which has hardened over the time. It starts off as a thin smooth covering of residual food and debris on the teeth and if not cleaned properly, hardens and forms Tartar or Calculus. This usually starts above the gum layer and over time, spreads below the gum margin, causing the gums to move away from the tooth; which in turn results in bleeding gums, foul smell, gum infections, tooth mobility and more.
How to prevent Tartar formation?
Let us start from the origin – The thin layer of debris on the teeth. It is a natural occurrence for anyone. It is basically a food film. If you run a piece of cotton over your teeth after a meal, you can see the debris on it. What you can do in this stage is –
- Follow a proper brushing technique - Place the brush at a 45 degree angle right at the margin of the gum and brush downwards for upper teeth, and upwards for lower teeth. Follow a circular motion.
- Do Not forget to brush on the inner sides of the teeth, especially the lower front teeth and the back of the upper teeth
- Brushing twice a day is very important because the night time is when the mouth and stomach acids start acting on the teeth. Hence your teeth should be debris free during the night.
- Flossing is another important step that should not be skipped. The proper way to floss is - Take the dental floss in between your fingers, insert it between two teeth, press it along the sides of one tooth and drag it up from the gum margin. This removes any inter-dental debris.
What can be done for harder debris or tartar?
- You might feel the need to brush harder to remove the hard substance. That is a big no. Brushing hard would only damage the teeth more.
- Avoid using sharp objects like toothpicks to remove the tartar. This might cause a lot of damage to the surrounding tissues.
- Do Not push the floss deeper into the gums - you will just be spreading the debris more.
- Keep a check of your oral hygiene. Be sure to self-check from time to time. Was this yellow spot or rough material always on my teeth? Or is this something new? When you know your teeth, you can easily differentiate debris from normal teeth and clean it effectively.
- Visit your dentist as soon as possible and get a professional teeth cleaning done.
- Also get an oral hygiene guide from your dentist. If you are someone with crowded teeth, mouth breathing habits or poor gum health, you might be more prone to tartar formation. Your dentist can give you a personalised treatment and care package.
As you can see the more you let the time pass, the more extensive and expensive the issue at hand might get. Hence visit your dentist as soon as possible and nip Tartar in the bud! Book a consultation now.
