Is it possible to remove tartar at home?
In the presence of dense and old deposits, effective removal of tartar at home is almost impossible. The most complex is considered to be subgingival tartar, which forms in periodontal pockets. In this case, contacting a hygienist is mandatory.
Of course, with due effort it is possible to remove the top layer of hard supragingival deposits, but its complete removal is only possible with the help of special equipment in the dental hygienist’s office. When the plaque is in the initial stage of hardening or has a loose structure, it can be quite successfully dealt with at home. It’s easier to do prevention than to deal with the consequences.
Symptoms signaling the formation of hard deposits
There are certain signs that indicate the beginning of the formation of tartar. It is important to know these symptoms so that you can recognize the problem in time and seek appropriate help. Here are the main ones:
- dark pigmented areas that first appear on the inside of the row, but gradually move to the front side,
- bad breath,
- redness or even blueness of the gums,
- the appearance of bleeding, especially during cleaning,
- inflammation of the mucous membrane, itching and soreness - in advanced cases, in the presence of subgingival deposits.
Bad breath may indicate a problem.
First, the stone forms at the neck of the tooth, surrounding it with a dark rim. Gradually it spreads into the subgingival area and covers an increasingly larger area of the coronal part.
How to remove tartar at home?
No matter how trivial it may sound, cleaning tartar at home is carried out with ordinary hygiene products: toothpaste, brush and irrigator.
- Toothpaste. For more or less effective removal of tartar, you need high-quality toothpaste with high abrasiveness (with an RDA coefficient of 120). Such products contain solid microparticles, most often silicon dioxide or aluminum oxide. Abrasive toothpastes do a good job of removing loose plaque and are even able to clean loose hard deposits, but at the same time they cause damage to the enamel. They are not suitable for people with sensitive teeth. This is especially true for tooth powder, which often appears in lists of tips on how to get rid of tartar at home. It should be used with extreme caution as it contains a large number of aggressive abrasive elements.
- Toothbrush. To quickly remove tartar at home, while its layer has not yet become thick, you need to use a toothbrush with the hardest bristles. This option is not suitable for everyone, since intensive cleaning causes the bristles to injure the enamel and gums. A good ultrasonic toothbrush would be ideal.
- Irrigator. A jet of water (even at high intensity) is not capable of destroying hard tartar, but it does a very good job of removing loose plaque. An irrigator is strictly recommended if you want to get rid of tartar at home, since it effectively cleans the most inaccessible areas of the oral cavity.
Products that should never be used -
Before writing this article, I carefully studied various sites that write on the topic of removing dental plaque at home. As a practicing dentist, I was somewhat shocked that such articles (by all indications) were written not just by “NON-dentists”, but by people who have absolutely nothing to do with medicine, and sometimes even lack common sense and have no idea , and what exactly do they advise.
I bring to your attention a couple of recipes that you can use to remove tartar at home. After the text of each recipe, you can read its analysis - both from the point of view of medical knowledge and a school chemistry course.
Recipe No. 1 –
“You need to make an elixir from grated black radish and lemon juice. This elixir should be consumed before bed, as well as moistened with a toothbrush and brushed your teeth.”
So, comments: the radish and lemon elixir contains nothing more than acid. Previously, in dentistry (when ultrasound was not yet used to remove dental plaque), in fact, before removing dental plaque with hand instruments, strong acids were sometimes used to slightly soften the tartar. Moreover, even after partial softening with acid, it will be impossible to remove tartar with a toothbrush or household tools.
The use of acid for removing tartar was abandoned about 40 years ago for the following reasons: 1) due to the low effectiveness of this method, 2) acid washes calcium from the surface layer of enamel, contributing to its abrasion and the development of increased sensitivity to thermal irritants.
Recipe No. 2 –
“Nut broth.
It is made by boiling 35 grams of walnut branch bark for 20 minutes in about one glass of water. Next, you need to dip your toothbrush in the broth and brush your teeth for 4-5 minutes, 3 times a day.” Comments: Try moistening your toothbrush with water and brushing your teeth with it. The effect will be exactly the same.
- Firstly, you will immediately feel how poorly your teeth are cleaned of plaque if you replace toothpaste with nut broth. Accordingly, this will lead to an increase in the amount of plaque on the teeth and accelerated formation of tartar.
- Secondly, hard dental deposits (tartar) are mineralized soft plaque.
Those. they are formed from soft microbial plaque, which was not cleaned from the teeth in time, and which was saturated with calcium and phosphorus salts contained in saliva. Thus, hard plaque is a very dense formation mineralized with calcium. From the chemistry course, you can remember that in order to dissolve calcium salts, you need a very strong acid, and not a decoction of walnut bark, which has no acidity. And as for the general use of acid to remove tartar, we have already talked about this above, i.e. this is not worth using.
Lemon, celandine and soda
On the Internet you can find many articles with headings from the series “how to clean tartar at home” or “how to dissolve tartar at home.” In these materials you can find dozens of “one hundred percent” recipes that will miraculously help get rid of tartar. In fact, all this is a myth. No traditional medicine can effectively remove hard dental plaque. Moreover, most of these tinctures and decoctions can also cause harm. For example, a decoction of celandine (often recommended) is poisonous and can cause poisoning. Lemon juice, which is a component of most of these recipes, contains acid, which is generally harmful to dental tissue and is ineffective at removing hard deposits.
To summarize, there is more harm from such recipes than good. The only more or less effective remedy, whose chemical properties help to somehow break down small dental deposits, is a solution of soda and hydrogen peroxide. At the same time, the same peroxide (especially if you make a mistake with the proportions) can cause serious harm to the enamel, so you can use it only at your own peril and risk.
How to remove plaque from a removable denture
Removable dentures, like your own teeth, require constant care and regular cleaning of plaque and food debris. Experts recommend cleaning the orthopedic device twice a day, and antiseptic treatment at least once a week. To do this, it is best to take baths with a special antibacterial solution, which can be purchased at any pharmacy. Traditional medicine offers its own version of cleaning the prosthesis:
- take white vinegar and mix it with water in equal proportions,
- place the prosthesis in a container with the resulting solution, leave the product there for several hours or even overnight,
- Remove the structure from the bath, carefully inspect it and, if there are any remaining stains, thoroughly clean them with a soft-bristled brush.
Vinegar diluted in water will help remove plaque from the prosthesis.
To maintain hygiene, it is also recommended to use an irrigator. This device does not replace a brush, but is an effective additional tool for keeping teeth and orthopedic systems clean.
Prevention of tartar
This article is entirely devoted to how to remove tartar at home, but it is also important to talk about how to prevent its occurrence. Prevention of dental plaque includes comprehensive and regular oral hygiene. Tartar builds up in hard-to-reach places, so use floss, irrigators and mouth rinses if you want to minimize the risk of plaque mineralization. Another important point is nutrition. Foods high in carbohydrates and dyes accelerate the formation of tartar. The same applies to tobacco: do you want to have healthy and snow-white teeth? Stop smoking. Well, if you do notice the first signs of tartar formation, consult a doctor. Professional cleaning and saturation of the enamel with useful minerals will restore your snow-white smile.
Consequences
Stone on teeth forms gradually. The consequences of its detrimental effects on oral health become apparent as it spreads and increases.
- At the first stage, this phenomenon brings purely cosmetic troubles, such as darkening of the enamel, unsightly spots on it.
- The next stage is characterized by discomfort when eating or brushing teeth, bad breath, and bleeding.
If the fight is not started at this stage, the patient may experience the development of caries, pulpitis and stomatitis, detachment of the gum from the tooth, exposure of the neck of the tooth and increased sensitivity, and tooth mobility. Also, over time, tartar leads to problems with the gastrointestinal tract, as they are a constant source of bacterial growth.
Folk remedies or professional hygiene
Not many people carefully monitor the condition of their teeth, and therefore most patients find out about the presence of tartar only at an appointment with the dentist. By this point, the deposits usually completely harden, and it becomes impossible to cope with them on your own. In such a situation, there is only one way out - sign up for a professional cleaning with a dentist. But in fact, this is the best option, the most effective and safe.
You can remove semi-hardened plaque at home using abrasives and electric brushes, but in this case there is always a risk of damaging the enamel. It is better if this issue is dealt with by an experienced professional who will immediately assess the condition of your teeth and gums and will also be able to remove tartar carefully, from all hard-to-reach places and with a guarantee of safety for your smile.
Effective recipes
Dry soda
The use of dry powder is considered one of the most aggressive methods of sanitation of the oral cavity using soda. A small amount is applied to the surface of the teeth and rubbed thoroughly.
Attention! When applying sodium bicarbonate in any form to tooth enamel, do not use a toothbrush. It is acceptable to use cotton swabs, gauze swabs and turundas.
Concentrated solution
Add soda in small portions to a small amount of water and mix thoroughly. As soon as the powder stops dissolving, the concentrate is ready. Use the resulting liquid to brush your teeth, then rinse your mouth with clean water.
Using foil
To increase the duration of exposure of the soda to the teeth, use foil. Two strips are made from it, onto which a mixture of soda and toothpaste is placed, after which they are wrapped around the upper and lower row of teeth. These foil mouthguards are left in the mouth for 1 hour, then removed and rinsed with clean water.
This method can be used once a week.
Enrichment of toothpaste
Add a pinch of soda to any toothpaste immediately before brushing your teeth. But for maximum enamel protection, it is better to use a fluoride-containing paste with a fluoride concentration of at least 1400 ppm.
Reference. In this case, using a toothbrush is acceptable, but preferably with soft bristles.
With salt
Soda is mixed with dry salt in a 1:1 ratio and a little water is added until a paste is obtained. Use the prepared mixture to brush your teeth 1–2 times a week until the desired effect is achieved.
With iodine
Dissolve 1 tsp in a glass of warm water. soda and add 1 drop of iodine. Rinse your mouth with this solution after each brushing of your teeth.
With hydrogen peroxide
Attention! Hydrogen peroxide is considered an aggressive solution for teeth and oral cavity. Therefore, the product is used no more than once a month.
A small amount of a 3% solution is mixed with soda to form a thick paste, which is rubbed into the enamel for 2 minutes. Then rinse with water.
Carefully! In case of contact with the gums, a burn of the mucous membrane with lightening of the surface is possible. In such a situation, it is necessary to stop the procedure and rinse off the product with clean water.
With fruit acids
Fruit acids enhance the cleansing effect of soda and also lighten the tone of the enamel. Lemon is best suited for these purposes, but you can use grapefruit and kiwi.
Add a few drops of sour fruit juice to the dry powder and rub the teeth for 1 minute. The procedure is repeated no more than 1–2 times a month.
Remember. The mixture with acids has a very aggressive effect on the teeth; frequent use can damage the enamel.
With strawberry
Strawberries have whitening properties, so they are used not only in cosmetology, but also to lighten tooth enamel.
The pulp of fresh berries is mashed, a pinch of soda is added and the teeth are rubbed. This composition is kept in the mouth for 2-3 minutes.
With activated carbon
An activated carbon tablet is crushed to a powder and mixed with soda 1:1. Dip a toothbrush into the resulting mixture and brush your teeth for 1–2 minutes. After this, rinse your mouth with clean water.
This cleaning is used 1-2 times a week.
Attention! Charcoal can stain dentures, crowns and fillings.
Preventive measures
The best prevention in this case would be a systematic visit to the dentist for professional cleaning. Experts in the field of dentistry and hygiene recommend undergoing the procedure at least once every six months. If the patient smokes or often drinks coffee and strong tea, prof. hygiene every 4 months, but on this matter you need to consult with your doctor - it all depends on the current condition of the enamel and its individual characteristics.
Proper dental hygiene is important to maintain your smile.
As mentioned above, you should periodically use an ultrasonic or electric brush, as well as a special abrasive paste with an RDA index above 1202 - this indicator will be indicated on the packaging. Just remember that you cannot constantly use such a product, as it can harm the enamel layer. It is better to alternate it with fluoride-containing and regular prophylactic paste. You also need to remember to use floss, rinse your mouth every time after eating, and it is better to purchase an irrigator to clean the interdental spaces and hard-to-reach places. It is recommended to consume hard vegetables and fruits more often - the moment you bite into an apple or, for example, a carrot, natural plaque is removed from the enamel
Reviews
Christina. I really like drinking coffee. Because of this, pigmented plaque appears on the teeth. I started brushing my teeth with dry soda powder every day for 1.5 weeks. The result is positive: the teeth are lightened and the plaque is gone. No sensitivity was evident.
Natalia. I used activated carbon. There is an effect, but it is insignificant. I haven’t observed any negative effects, so I use it sometimes.
Olga. I brushed my teeth with baking soda for 2 weeks in a row. The plaque has partially disappeared, but the stones remain in place, and the enamel is still yellow. I don't recommend it.
Vladimir. After using baking soda with lemon, severe tooth sensitivity appeared. Now I can’t eat anything cold or sour. I don’t recommend it to anyone, it’s better to go to the dentist.
How does soda work?
Soda powder has a fine-grained structure, due to which it gently cleanses and destroys tartar. Thanks to its alkaline effect, sodium bicarbonate changes the chemical nature of solid deposits, and due to its abrasive properties, it removes them layer by layer.
On a note. Some professional dental cleaning powders contain from 20 to 50% baking soda.
In addition, sodium bicarbonate improves the condition of the oral cavity:
- Increases the pH of saliva, neutralizing the aggressive effects of organic acids on teeth.
- Gently polishes the enamel, giving it a lighter tone.
- Prevents the formation of plaque, which increases the absorption of minerals from saliva by dental tissue.
