Dental calculus is common among people and almost everyone have it. It's just a matter of serious or not. For some people, the color of the calculus is faint yellow, which means that the calculus is not serious yet, but for some serious calculus patients, especially for some people who have been smoking and drinking for many years, the dental calculus will be gray or even dark. If you don’t get it cleaned off, calculus can irritate your gums, contributing to periodontal disease. The following is the analysis by the professional dentist of Shenzhen dental hospital.

So what exactly is calculus? 

Calculus, commonly known as tartar (as in tartar-control toothpaste) is plaque that has hardened. In the picture below, the calculus looks like a thick, creamy coating sticking to the teeth between the teeth and the gums.

Tartar can be found on any tooth surface and even below the gumline. A common hideout is on the tongue side of your lower front teeth. The salivary glands under your tongue put out a lot of calcium, which helps the plaque harden into tartar rather quickly.

How to prevent the calculus and tartar from forming in your mouth?

The best way to prevent calculus from forming is by brushing twice a day and flossing.  Plaque can start to mineralize (the process that helps it turn into tartar) in as little as a couple of hours! Once plaque has hardened into calculus, you need to have it removed by a dentist. Your dentist or dental hygienist removes calculus using metal instruments or with an ultrasonic dental instrument. It’s important to visit your dentist regularly so you can get any calculus or tartar build-up removed.

If you don’t go to the dentist to get calculus removed from your teeth it can start to irritate your gums and over time may cause periodontal disease, a major cause of tooth loss. It’s important to see your dentist so that you can keep your teeth clean and free of periodontal disease.

Recommended reading: What is periodontal disease?