Tartar is what happens when those little leftover food particles from your meal mix with the naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth. This process leads to the creation of a sticky sort of film on the teeth, known as plaque. Untreated plaque from poor dental hygiene discolors and hardens into calcium deposits that coat the teeth and gum line. These calcium deposits are what is known as tartar.
While plaque itself can be relatively harmless when cleaned regularly, tartar can become a very tricky dilemma to take care of, quickly leading to even more challenging dental problems.
How Does Tartar Contribute to Gum Disease?
Gum disease, also known as periodontitis or periodontal disease, is a breakdown of your gum structure due to bacterial growth. Gum disease is the final stage after gingivitis has set in, causing teeth to break down and the body’s enzymes to attack the dental structure, making the teeth pull away from the gums.
This avoidable string of events will eventually lead to tooth loss if not properly taken care of by your Albany dentist. While gingivitis is very common, it can lead to more serious dental diseases. Most adults will develop an amount of gingivitis at some point in their lives. This does not always result in disease.
Plaque and tartar can cause gingivitis, creating a domino effect that often leads to gum disease. Tartar, gingivitis, and gum disease are easily preventable with routine dental maintenance. Routine maintenance includes brushing and flossing twice a day, using mouth wash, and making regular appointments with your dentist for cleanings and checkups.
Gum disease can be challenging to target once the process has begun destroying the mouth. Prevention is the best course of action.
Do I Need a Dentist to Address Tartar Buildup?
While there are preventative measures you can take to stop the buildup of plaque before it becomes tartar, once the plaque has solidified into tartar it will take a dental professional to address the situation. This is because calcium deposits are very hard and difficult to remove. Your Albany dentist can remove the deposits with a scaler, which is a long hooked instrument commonly used for scraping away tough tartar buildup.
Schedule your dental appointment today so you can avoid tartar buildup and gum disease.
Content found on this blog is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional judgement, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please speak with a professional if you have concerns about your oral health.