When the hard substance called tartar builds up, it is because sticky plaque has not been removed often enough or well enough from the teeth during home oral hygiene.
Natural salts found in saliva cause the plaque to harden up into calculus (commonly called tartar).
Deep Cleaning
Once tartar becomes hardened, only dental cleaning can remove it from the teeth. Sometimes deep cleaning is needed.
Scaling is the process of using dental instruments to remove these deposits, especially from the area below the gum line – the upper part of the root.
Root planing is another technique that smooths bumps found on root surfaces, to make it more difficult for plaque to stick. In planing the root’s surface, the dental worker removes a bacteria-impregnated layer of cementum and thus evens out irregular areas.
Ultra-Sound Tartar Removal Ultrasonic scalers are electric dental machines that break down bacterial cell walls by vibration. Since bacteria are what make plaque and calculus stick, the ultrasonic scaler removes plaque and calculus. After this deep cleaning, the dental worker uses hand instruments to remove any hard material left behind.
Treating Periodontal Disease
Deep cleaning helps to prevent or treat periodontal (gum) disease.
The rough hard surfaces of tartar irritate gums and other soft tissues near the teeth, leading to inflammation and infection. To keep ahead of gum disease, it is important to remove these irritants from your mouth as soon as possible.
Regular dental appointments for teeth cleaning and gum inspection will help keep you on top of tartar build-up.