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Q: What is tartar, and how does it cause periodontal disease?
A: Tartar is the hard, bacterial laden mineral buildup on your teeth that develops from your plaque.
Tartar buildup will happen to anyone with one or more the following factors: 1) poor daily plaque removal - not brushing or flossing thoroughly or frequently enough, 2) dry mouth - often the results of prescription medications, such as anti-histamines, anti-depressants, or anti-cholinergics, or 3) a family history of tartar buildup
Tartar is very hard, so brushing and flossing usually don't remove it. That's why your dentist or hygienist needs to remove it every 6 months. If you allow tartar to persist on your teeth, the body will attempt to remove it. The immune response from the body starts with inflammation of the gums (gingivitis), followed by dissolving away of the bone nearby (periodontitis). If you lose bone, your gums start receding. This leads to exposed roots, and often tooth sensitivity. Lose more bone, and the teeth start getting loose. Once you lose more than half of the bone around the root, (dentists call it a 1:1 crown to root ratio), the tooth begins to get loose. Eventually, the teeth fall out, or have to be taken out so that the periodontal disease doesn't affect neighboring teeth.
One more good reason to quit smoking: smokers get periodontal disease more often, lose teeth more teeth at earlier ages, and have a far higher chance of needing dentures in old age. Not to mention those nasty teeth stains pictured above. This is because smoking reduces the body's immune system, which allows the disease causing bacteria to thrive in your mouth.
Periodontal disease is incurable, but it's entirely treatable. Thorough daily cleaning (flossing and brushing) disturbs the plaque, and should keep 90% of the tartar from building up. For that remaining 10%, visit your dentist or hygienist every 6 months.
Asked and Answered on Yahoo Answers.
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