What is tartar, and how is it different from plaque?
Plaque is the soft, sticky film of bacteria that builds on teeth within hours of cleaning them. It can be brushed away. If it stays on the tooth for long enough, minerals from saliva settle into it and it hardens into tartar. Our guide on what plaque is explains the soft stage.
Tartar is porous and rough, which is the problem. Fresh plaque grips a rough surface far more easily than a smooth one, so a patch of tartar becomes a base for faster build-up. It forms most where saliva ducts open: behind the lower front teeth and on the outer surface of the upper back teeth.
Above the gum it tends to look cream or yellow. Below the gum line it is darker, brown or black, and it sits against the root where you cannot see it. Tea, coffee, paan and tobacco stain it further.
Can you remove tartar at home?
No. Once plaque has hardened, a toothbrush, floss, mouthwash or toothpaste will not lift it. Scraping it with a pin, a nail or a metal tool, or using pastes and powders sold as tartar removers, usually does more harm than good: you can cut the gum, scratch the enamel and leave grooves that collect plaque faster.
What you can do at home is stop new tartar forming. Brushing twice a day, cleaning between the teeth daily and paying attention to the inner surface of the lower front teeth removes plaque before it hardens. Our guide on how to remove plaque from teeth covers the technique.
How tartar is removed by a dentist
Removal is called scaling. The dentist or hygienist uses an ultrasonic scaler, which vibrates tartar off the tooth with a water spray, and hand instruments for what is left. It is followed by polishing to smooth the surface. The steps are described in our guide on what teeth scaling involves.
Scaling is not usually painful. Gums that are inflamed can feel tender and bleed during and after it, and teeth can feel sensitive for a day or two. Tartar that has gone deep below the gum line needs a more thorough cleaning, which is a gum treatment rather than a routine scale.
How often it is needed depends on how quickly your mouth builds tartar, which varies between people. Your dentist will advise an interval, commonly every six months to a year.
Why tartar matters for your gums
Tartar itself does not cause pain. The damage comes from the bacterial plaque living on it, which keeps the gum inflamed. Gums that bleed, look red or puffy, or smell bad often have tartar under them, and untreated, that inflammation can progress to bone loss. See our page on the stages of gum disease, and the gum treatment page for what treatment involves.
Common questions
Does scaling damage the teeth or make gaps?
Scaling removes tartar, not tooth. If gaps seem to open afterwards, it is usually because swollen gum has shrunk back to its healthy size and tartar that was filling the space is gone. The spaces were already there.
Can tartar come back after cleaning?
Yes. Plaque keeps forming and can harden again, usually over months. How fast depends on your brushing, your saliva, and habits such as smoking or chewing tobacco. Regular home care slows it but does not stop it, so periodic professional cleaning is normal.
Does tartar cause bad breath?
It can. Bacteria in the plaque on and under tartar release smelly compounds, and inflamed gums add to the odour. Breath usually improves a lot once the tartar is scaled off and the gums settle.
Is yellow or brown tartar worse than white?
Colour mostly reflects what the tartar has absorbed and where it sits. Dark tartar below the gum line is a sign it has been there a while and is worth having looked at, but the colour alone does not tell you how serious the gum condition is.
About this page
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a quotation. Prices are prevailing Lucknow market ranges. Your own treatment and cost are determined after an examination. For questions about your own case, call +91 83036 12717.