Tartar removal

When bacterial plaque is left on the teeth for a long time, the saliva in the mouth can mineralize the plaque. The mineralized plaque that exists is then difficult to remove yourself, at this stage it's called tartar. Tartar attracts more bacteria to the site, which in turn contributes to gum inflammation (gingivitis).

If this continues for a long time, the tooth's attachment is affected, first in the gum, later also in the jawbone. When the jawbone begins to be affected by inflammation, periodontitis can occur. Periodontitis occurs when the teeth begin to lose their attachment in the jawbone due to bacterial infection. If this is not treated in time, teeth can be lost. Poor oral hygiene, hereditary factors, hormonal changes, and smoking are known to affect and can accelerate the course of the disease.

If you have developed periodontitis, the first step in treatment is a thorough examination. Then a pocket depth measurement of the gum pockets is done and new X-rays are taken. The dentist goes through oral health and notes where the gums bleed and if any teeth feel loose. The information from the examination is used to assess each individual tooth's health status and also forms the basis for the treatment plan for your mouth. Treatment consists of optimization of oral hygiene routines and professional dental cleaning, where bacterial deposits and tartar are removed in the gum pockets and around the teeth. In more serious cases, minor surgery may also be needed.

For good healing, it's also important that the patient himself is motivated and very careful to clean around each tooth every day. The goal of treatment is to ensure that there are no longer any deepened, bleeding gum pockets. If the disease is detected in time, the prospects for treatment are also good, and treatment often causes no major after-effects.

Since periodontitis is a chronic disease, it's important that those who have been affected by periodontitis also continue to have regular check-ups and support treatments with a dental hygienist or dentist. This is to be able to detect if the disease is recurring and intervene at an early stage.

In some cases, it's possible to try to recreate lost attachment (regeneration) around teeth that have lost their attachment as a result of periodontitis. The treatment involves placing some form of bone-building or bone-replacement material in the bone defects at the teeth so that the teeth's attachment is regenerated.

How much tartar you get is highly individual and depends on several different factors such as genetics but also the composition of saliva. You can most easily avoid tartar through careful brushing twice a day and keeping clean between teeth with aids such as dental floss and interdental brushes.