How to Remove Tartar From Teeth Without a Dentist
How to successfully remove plaque from teeth at home (you’ll still need a dentist to remove tartar build-up from below the gum line).
Your teeth and gums will encounter plaque daily; it’s an invisible problem everyone has. Failure to remove plaque properly and efficiently means it will harden and calcify into tartar, which will coat the teeth and gums. Tartar is unpleasant – it’s yellow, smelly and difficult to remove, which might mean you’ll be tempted to remove it at home and even pick at it or try to scrape it off, but please don’t.
How to remove tartar build-up at home
It’s not recommended to attempt to remove tartar build-up at home, especially if you’re using certain tools to scrape it off.
In cases where there’s a large amount of tartar build-up, it’s best to book an appointment with a hygienist to ensure it’s removed safely and effectively.
While certain products exist to help reduce tartar build-up on the teeth. Below the gum line, they are not instant, which means the longer you leave the tooth encased in tartar, the more at risk you’re putting your gums at developing irreversible conditions like gum disease.
Things you can try at home without a dentist:
White vinegar is a natural antibacterial, which can soften tartar and help demineralise it if used once or twice daily as a mouthwash. Patients can try mixing 2 cups of warm water with 2 teaspoons of white vinegar and a pinch of salt and swilling it around the mouth for a few minutes.
If you already suffer from gum disease, you can also try products like TartarEnd, which is a toothpaste that helps remove tartar below the gum line, with some studies showing that gum pocket depths were reduced by 2-4mm in 3 months. Plus, it’s helpful in the fight to stop bleeding gums and bad breath.
Please avoid at-home tartar removal kits, which include tools, you could cause damage to your teeth and gums without a good understanding how they work.
You'll still need to visit a hygienist regularly
No matter how good you believe your oral hygiene to be (and even if it is excellent), visiting dental hygiene regularly is unavoidable.
There are particular areas and spots where plaque or tartar cannot be removed from your smile—especially when it’s lurking below the gum line, which is common in patients with gum disease.
So, to ensure your smile remains healthy, you should frequently visit the dental hygienist to keep your teeth and gums clean.
Our hygienist uses special tools to go further than floss, and toothpaste can, as they’ll clean the root of your tooth, keeping it free from disease and decay.
