At Dental Care of Brentwood, we believe a healthy smile is a beautiful smile. However, achieving that healthy smile involves more than just brushing and flossing at home. Rather, it’s about understanding the silent, often invisible, culprits that can harm your teeth. Furthermore, for our patients in the Brentwood area, we know that great oral hygiene is a top priority. Indeed, one of the most common and damaging issues a dental professional sees is tartar. Therefore, if you’ve ever wondered what does tartar look like, you’ve come to the right place.
What Exactly Is Tartar?
Before you can have tartar, you must have plaque. Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria that constantly forms on your teeth. When you eat or drink, the bacteria in plaque produce acids that can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.
However, if you don’t remove this plaque daily through proper brushing and flossing, it begins to harden. This is where tartar, also known as calculus, comes in. Specifically, tartar is plaque that has calcified—it has become a rough, porous substance that bonds firmly to your teeth, especially along the gum line. Unfortunately, you cannot remove tartar with a toothbrush alone.
What Does Tartar Look Like?
When tartar builds up, it can take on a yellowish or brownish appearance, making your teeth look stained. In fact, it often forms a crusty layer, particularly in hard-to-reach areas like between your teeth and behind them. This rough surface is an ideal breeding ground for more plaque, which creates a vicious cycle of buildup. In addition to being unsightly, tartar buildup can, furthermore, lead to serious oral health problems, including gingivitis (the first stage of gum disease) and periodontitis. This is a crucial answer to the question, what does tartar look like?
The Professional Solution to Tartar
The only way to effectively remove tartar is with a professional dental cleaning. During your bi-annual appointment in the Brentwood area, your dentist or hygienist uses specialized instruments called scalers to gently scrape away the tough tartar deposits. For more extensive buildup, we may use an ultrasonic scaler, which utilizes high-frequency vibrations to break down the tartar, making its removal quicker and easier.
The only way to effectively remove tartar is with a professional dental cleaning. At your bi-annual appointment in the Brentwood area, your dentist or hygienist uses specialized instruments called scalers to gently scrape away the tough tartar deposits. For more extensive buildup, we may use an ultrasonic scaler, which utilizes high-frequency vibrations to break down the tartar, making its removal quicker and easier.
After we remove the tartar, your teeth are polished to remove any remaining stains and to smooth the tooth surface. This makes it more difficult for new plaque to attach.
While a diligent at-home oral hygiene routine—which includes brushing with a soft-bristled toothbrush, flossing daily, and using a fluoride mouthwash—is your first line of defense, it can’t fully prevent tartar. Therefore, regular professional cleanings are the most important way to ensure your mouth stays healthy and tartar-free.
Tartar vs. Plaque: A Quick Comparison
| Feature | Plaque | Tartar (Calculus) |
| Description | Soft, sticky, colorless film of bacteria. | Hard, porous, calcified buildup. It’s the answer to what does tartar look like. |
| Removal | You can remove it with daily brushing and flossing. | It requires professional cleaning with a dental scaler. |
| Formation | It constantly forms on teeth. | It forms when plaque is left on teeth and hardens. |
| Appearance | It is often invisible, but can feel fuzzy on teeth. | It can be yellowish or brownish and rough to the touch. |
Oral Hygiene Essentials
| Action | Frequency | Purpose |
| Brushing | At least twice a day (after meals if possible). | Removes plaque and food particles from tooth surfaces. |
| Flossing | At least once a day. | Cleans plaque and food from between teeth and under the gum line. |
| Mouthwash | After brushing or meals. | Helps kill bacteria and strengthen enamel (if fluoride-containing). |
| Dental Cleanings | At least twice a year. | Removes hardened tartar and thoroughly cleans teeth. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Plaque is a soft, sticky film of bacteria that forms on your teeth. When you do not remove plaque, it hardens into tartar, a tough, crusty substance that only a dental professional can remove.
Tartar creates a rough surface on your teeth that makes it easier for more plaque to accumulate. Consequently, this can lead to serious oral health issues, including tooth decay and gum disease.
The American Dental Association recommends you get your teeth cleaned by a professional at least twice a year. This helps prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar and allows your dentist to check for other issues.
No, you cannot remove tartar by brushing alone, even with special toothpaste. Its hardened nature requires professional tools to scrape it off without damaging the tooth enamel.
You can’t always see tartar, but it often appears as a yellow or brown deposit on your teeth, especially near the gum line. A key part of knowing what does tartar look like is recognizing its color and texture.
Yes, flossing is crucial! It removes food particles and plaque from between your teeth and under the gum line, areas that your toothbrush can’t reach. Therefore, it is essential for preventing gum disease.
Yes, a professional cleaning can often help with bad breath. Bad breath frequently stems from bacteria and food particles that get trapped in plaque and tartar. Removing these can significantly improve your breath.
Yes, brushing too hard can irritate your gums and wear down your tooth enamel. It’s best to use a soft-bristled toothbrush and brush gently in small, circular motions.
An ultrasonic scaler is a tool used by dentists that uses high-frequency vibrations to break up large or stubborn amounts of tartar, making its removal quicker and easier.
The best way to prevent buildup is a combination of good at-home care and regular professional cleanings. Our dental team in Brentwood is ready to help! Ultimately, understanding what does tartar look like helps you recognize the problem early.
Take the Next Step for a Healthier Smile
Maintaining a healthy, beautiful smile is an ongoing partnership between you and your dental care team. By understanding the difference between plaque and tartar and recognizing the importance of professional cleanings, you’re on the right path to optimal oral health. Regular appointments allow us to provide comprehensive care and catch issues before they become serious problems.
To learn more about our comprehensive services, please visit our Services page. If you would like to meet our highly skilled team of doctors, you can find their profiles on our Doctors page.
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