Signs You Have Tartar
At Today’s Dental Comfort, we regularly express the importance of caring for your teeth and oral health. It is important that you brush your teeth for two minutes at least twice per day and use dental floss daily. In addition, we recommend patients visit our office every four to six months for a routine hygiene examination and cleaning. Cleaning your teeth regularly and visiting our office for a thorough cleaning is the best way to ensure you don’t have lingering bacteria and plaque on your teeth. Plaque buildup will eventually lead to an issue with tartar.
What is Tartar?
When you do not clean your teeth properly, you will develop plaque on your teeth. Plaque can be challenging because it is not visible to the naked eye. Thoroughly brushing and flossing will help remove lingering plaque on your teeth. The more often you skip brushing or avoid visiting our office for a cleaning, the greater the chance you have of plaque remaining on your teeth. The longer plaque remains on your teeth, the more likely you will develop tartar. Tartar is plaque and bacteria that have hardened and calcified on the teeth. It is impossible to remove without dental intervention and extremely harmful to your oral health. Tartar can also lead to problems such as gum disease.
What Are Signs You Have Tartar?
Unlike plaque, which is invisible, tartar is noticeable. It appears brown or yellow and is typically visible along the base of the tooth near the gumline. A good way to think of it is like a barnacle attached to your tooth. Tartar is also porous, so it will continue to darken the more stain-causing foods, drinks, and other products you consume, including coffee and tobacco.
If you are concerned you are suffering from the effects of tartar, be sure to contact our office, which is located in Burton, MI, to schedule an appointment. We also encourage you to schedule your next oral hygiene examination and cleaning.