What’s The Difference Between Plaque and Tartar?
Dental plaque and tartar are harmful substances that compromise your oral health. But even with a great brushing and flossing routine, these substances can and do settle along your gum line.
When plaque and tartar harden, they aren’t responsive to a brush and dental floss, and the only way to have these substances removed is to see a hygienist.
In this blog we’ll cover:
The difference between plaque and tartar.
What happens if you don’t have plaque and tartar removed.
How do hygienists remove plaque and tartar.
What is plaque?
Plaque is a sticky film that forms on your teeth. It attracts bacteria, and when you eat carbohydrates and sugars, the bacteria feed on it, releasing toxins that cause cavities and damage the ligament that supports your teeth, i.e. your gum line and jawbone.
Plaque forms every single time we eat, which is why twice daily brushing and flossing is so important. But, as we mentioned in the intro, some plaque will always get left behind, and this needs to be removed by a hygienist.
What is tartar?
Tartar is the substance created when plaque hardens. Approximately 68% of adults have dental tartar, which explains why gum disease remains the leading cause of tooth loss in adult patients.
If plaque is not removed with regular brushing, tartar is created, and it’s this substance that suffocates your gums, causing them to bleed regularly, and for pockets to form in your gums. Plaque hardens within 24-72 hours, so it’s. vital that you’re affording your mouth the care it needs every day, to avoid giving plaque a chance to develop into tartar.
How do hygienists remove plaque and tartar?
Only a dental professional can remove plaque and tartar, and your hygienist is the person responsible for your gum health.
During your routine hygienist appointments, your hygienist removes plaque and tartar from various areas in your mouth, including underneath the gum if needed (a process called root planing and debridement).
Debridement is recommended for patients with a heavy layer of biofilm (plaque and tartar). Your dentist will use ultrasonic instruments to pierce the tartar in order to then remove it with hand instruments.
Plaque and tartar can reach underneath your gums and cause severe damage to the root of a tooth.
If you have periodontal pockets between your teeth and plaque and tartar has reached below the gum line, scaling and root planing is needed to access it. Plaque and tartar can settle on your tooth roots, causing serious damage to the fragile dentin that coats them and ultimately causing them to fail. Following this, your tooth roots are smoothed out, helping your gums reattach to your teeth.
What happens if do nothing about plaque and tartar on my teeth?
Even a small amount of plaque will cause bleeding gums and gum inflammation. This is your mouth giving you an early warning that there are worse things to come if this mild symptom isn’t dealt with.
Without removal, plaque and tartar will wage war on your teeth, causing full-blown gum disease, aka periodontitis. Thousands of people have their teeth out every single as a result of gum disease in the England and Wales, but it’s totally avoidable with the right vigilance and daily protection (which is minimal compared to losing your teeth).
Protecting your teeth daily
To avoid plaque, tartar and gum disease, observe the following advice each day (and you won’t go far wrong!)
Don’t smoke. If you are a smoker, try transitioning to a vape to manage your nicotine addiction (vapes are not recommended for anyone who isn’t an ex-smoker).
Limit your sugar to the RDA or lower.
Floss and brush with an electric brush every day (twice a day).
Drink water after every meal to blast away food particles.
