Tartar develops when the initially soft deposits (plaque) are mineralized by the calcium and phosphate ions found in saliva. Tartar is removed as part of dental tartar removal or by professional dental cleaning (PZR). What is plaque?
If you brush your teeth thoroughly, a very thin layer of proteins forms after a short time on the surfaces inside the mouth, especially on the teeth. This first layer can be rinsed off and is called pellicle. Bacteria from the saliva then attach themselves to this layer and bind to the pellicle.
This binding can no longer be removed by simple rinsing. The binding of the different bacteria leads to a strongly interconnected network. In order to remove this, it is necessary to use a toothbrush.
For this reason, tartar occurs mainly where brushing is more difficult. This means mainly between the teeth and on the back molar. The bacteria within the biofilm multiply and form plaque.
The plaque ultimately leads to the formation of acid and thus to the demineralization of the tooth, which causes caries. If the plaque is not removed regularly, calcium and phosphate ions will accumulate over time, causing the plaque to mineralize. In other words, tartar is a kind of “petrified plaque”.
Tartar has a rough surface, which promotes the re-accumulation of bacteria and thus caries. The problem is that tartar cannot be removed without special instruments and therefore usually has to be removed at the dentist. It is strongly discouraged to remove tartar on your own.
Therapy
The treatment of choice for tartar is the removal of tartar. This can be done in different ways. The most important of these are tartar removal and professional tooth cleaning (PZR).
Tartar removal is a service provided by the health insurance company and its sole aim is to remove all hard plaque. As a rule, tartar removal is performed with an ultrasonic scaler. This is a metal instrument which is set into oscillations in the ultrasonic range.
With this instrument it is possible to remove the tartar. The PZR aims to remove both hard and soft plaque and to achieve polishing and sealing of the tooth surfaces. Within the framework of PZR, in addition to the ultrasonic scaler, special hand instruments are also used for tartar removal. Furthermore, various techniques are used to clean, polish and seal the teeth, which is intended to make the development of caries more difficult or prevent it.
