Dealing with Tartar: How to Succeed at DIY Oral Health

There are times when life interferes, and you have to cancel your dentist’s appointment. Sometimes, your busy streak extends, promoting you to be behind your regular cleaning some more. The next thing you know, tartar is already starting to show.

While you’re faithfully practicing your daily oral health routine, it’s only part of the equation when it comes to issues like plaque buildup. You can do your best to prevent it—which is what this article can help you with. However, leaving the job to a dental healthcare professional is still preferable.

In the following paragraphs, you will know more about what plaque and tartar are, how you can prevent them from forming, and why having them removed by a dental professional is the safest and smartest option.

Removing Tartar at Home

Okay, let’s talk about brushing first. With a soft-bristled toothbrush, brush your teeth twice a day, then floss afterward. Once you're done, rinse your mouth with a fluoride mouthwash to eradicate any bacteria that you missed.

Here’s the bad news—a toothbrush will not be able to remove plaque once it has hardened into tartar. Thankfully, when you look at the market, especially online marketplaces, you will find DIY tartar-removal products.

There are dental tool kits and so-called natural home remedies like strawberries, vinegar, or sesame seeds. However, before grabbing the nearest home remedy a blog or a YouTube video recommended you, it’s best to consult your dentist about tartar removal first before attempting at-home methods.

Tartar’s Impact on Oral Health

Plaque and tartar can cause problems like gum disease and cavities, so you have to make sure it doesn’t come down to tartar buildup. Worst case scenario, the buildup around the gumlines can irritate the gums and cause bleeding. This can lead to gingivitis when left untreated.

Tartar can also cause aesthetic issues because of its absorbent nature, quickly soaking up stains. Drinking beverages like tea or coffee can darken your teeth, resulting in yellowish teeth.

Symptoms

First, pay attention to how your teeth feel. When you have tartar in the mouth, it feels like there’s a hard substance that brushing alone can’t eliminate. When tartar forms below the gum line, it can create swollen, bleeding areas.

If not removed, the buildup above the gumline turns yellow or tan and grows larger. You will also notice that the color turns brown or black below the gumline.

Avoiding Tartar Buildup

If you want to avoid tartar buildup, the best action is still preventative dentistry. Rather than allowing tartar to build up to the point where it must be professionally removed, you can make efforts to prevent it from occurring in the first place by getting a regular dental cleaning. Also, don’t allow plaque to devolve into tartar. Faithfully follow the daily oral hygiene mentioned above—brushing, flossing, and mouth wash.

Choosing a Dental Professional over DIY Oral Care

If you’re constantly probing your mouth with sharp or improper equipment, it might quickly damage your teeth or gums. While you may believe you know your mouth better than anyone else, safe tartar removal should be left to a dental professional. Only they are capable of removing tartar from teeth. They have the necessary tools such as manual scaling tools or an ultrasonic device.

Don’t let a lack of funds deter you from seeking professional assistance. If money is an issue, there are several options for low-cost dentistry, including dental and dental hygiene schools. Supervised students provide low-cost care in these clinical facilities in order to gain clinical experience, so you can definitely take advantage of that!

Conclusion

You’re doing a marvelous job with your oral health if you’re brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. However, you should still book an appointment with your dentist for regular exams and teeth cleaning. They will remove any plaque that you missed throughout your at-home dental care routine during these appointments.

If you’re looking for an affordable dentist in Ann Arbor to help with your preventative dental care, then you can rely on Dental House MI. We provide preventive dentistry, dentures, cosmetic dentistry, restorative dentistry, oral surgery, advanced dental technology, dental implants, and more. Book a dental appointment with us today!