Baking Powder

Baking powder consists of a coarse-grained salt, sodium dihydrogen carbonate, which has a strong abrasive effect when scrubbed with a toothbrush. These abrasions can minimize tartar, but they also erode the enamel and thus destroy the protective mantle of the tooth. A thorough and complete removal of tartar is not guaranteed by the application and tartar remains can be left unnoticed.

This risk is aggravated by the fact that it is very difficult to reach the areas that are more prone to tartar formation. These places include the front of the lower jaw and the first molar in the upper jaw, since the excretory ducts of the large salivary glands are located in these positions. Without appropriate lighting and instruments such as mirrors, these areas cannot be inspected well enough and tartar cannot be completely removed.

The tartar scraper

The tartar scraper is a stainless steel instrument that can be sterilized and used to manually remove tartar. It has a rounded tip with which the tartar can be blown off. The tartar scraper must be sharpened regularly, as it can only remove gently mineralized plaque when it is pointed.

If the instrument is blunt, far too much pressure is applied to remove the tartar and can damage the enamel. However, this instrument must not be used on its own, but only by trained personnel in the dental practice. Furthermore, when used at home, it is not possible to sterilize the tartar scratch (removal of germs).

Thus, the tartar scratch can cause a lot of damage by the use of laymen and can do more harm than good. The pointed end can injure the gums and the periodontium if it slips off and damage the enamel if it is applied too forcefully. In addition, if it slips off, the tongue can also be speared, which leads to heavy bleeding and must be treated surgically. Due to the non-sterile environment, the patient can introduce bacteria into the caused wound, which infect it. For these reasons, independent use is strongly discouraged, as the risk of injury is too high.