Tartar is hardened plaque that a toothbrush can no longer remove. Why it forms, why home remedies fail and even harm, how it is removed in the clinic and how to slow it down. What tartar is
A soft film of bacteria and saliva, plaque, forms on teeth every day. Left for 24–48 hours it starts absorbing calcium and phosphate from saliva and hardens. That is tartar, or calculus: 70–80 % minerals, the rest bacteria. Once hardened, no brush, paste or floss removes it.
There are two kinds. Above the gum: yellow-brown, visible, most often on the inside of the lower front teeth and the cheek side of the upper molars, where the salivary glands open. Below the gum: dark, hard and invisible, and the one that does the real damage by irritating the gum from inside.
Why it forms even if you brush
- brushing the tooth surfaces but not the gum line and the gaps between teeth, where plaque stays and sets;
- saliva chemistry: some people have more minerals in their saliva and build tartar 2–3 times faster;
- smoking and a lot of coffee or tea, which stain the tartar dark and make it visible sooner;
- crowded teeth, the edges of crowns and fillings, dentures: places a brush does not reach;
- a dry mouth (medication, mouth breathing, age): less saliva, less natural rinsing.
Why it matters
Tartar itself does not hurt, so it is ignored for years. It is rough, so plaque collects on it even faster. Bacteria in tartar release toxins and the gum responds with inflammation: bleeding, swelling, recession. That is gingivitis, which untreated can progress to periodontitis, loss of the bone around the roots, when teeth become loose. Tartar is also the main cause of bad breath, and decay often develops under it at the neck of the tooth, noticed only after removal.
Why tartar cannot be removed at home
The internet is full of tips: baking soda, lemon, apple cider vinegar, activated charcoal, "dental scalers" for 10 euros. None of them work, and several do harm.
- Baking soda and charcoal are abrasives: they remove soft plaque and stains but not tartar, and used long enough they wear down enamel.
- Lemon and vinegar are acids: they cannot dissolve tartar but they demineralise enamel and make teeth sensitive.
- Metal scalers without training scratch enamel and injure the gum; they cannot reach below the gum, which is where the problem is.
- "Tartar control" toothpastes with pyrophosphates slow new tartar but do not remove what is there.
How tartar is removed in the clinic
The dental hygienist removes tartar with ultrasound: the vibrating tip breaks up hard deposits above and below the gum line, a water jet flushes them away, and the enamel is not damaged. Then AIR-FLOW or polishing paste removes soft plaque and stains, the surface is polished so new plaque sticks more slowly, and fluoride is applied. The visit takes 45–60 minutes and is usually done without anaesthesia; a numbing gel is applied for sensitive gums. At Laurus Dent plus a hygiene visit costs 80–85 EUR, 40–55 EUR for children; details on dental hygiene. Teeth may be sensitive to cold for 1–2 days afterwards; gum bleeding stops within a week.
How to slow tartar down
- Brush twice a day for 2 minutes with fluoride toothpaste, holding the brush at 45 degrees to the gum line, where tartar forms, not the middle of the tooth.
- Floss or use interdental brushes every evening.
- An electric brush with a pressure sensor removes more plaque than a manual one.
- Fewer snacks and sweet drinks between meals; water after coffee.
- A hygiene visit every 6 months; every 3–4 months for smokers and fast tartar builders.
Book a hygiene visit: +371 22428688, weekdays 8:00–20:00, treatment in English. See also: sensitive teeth · teeth whitening · all prices.