How To Remove Tartar From Teeth?

Tartar – it’s a problem for many of us. It’s not always so easy to see when it’s hidden away on our back teeth, but we can feel it and sometimes we can even smell it!

It’s not nice and it can become really problematic when it builds and builds. And not to scare you or anything, but when left untreated tartar can cause gum disease, which in turn can cause heart disease!

But is it true that only a dentist can get rid of it?

Not quite. The problem is that many of us are either too scared to go to dentist to get it removed, or just can’t afford the dentist bill. So what do we do? Fortunately, there are a number of home remedies that will help you safely remove it.

In this article, Beauty and Tips takes a look at what tartar is exactly, why it’s so hard to get rid of, and the best home remedies that will eliminate it forever. We’ll also take a look at the preventative measures you can put in place to ensure that it never comes back.

What is Tartar?

When you don’t look after your teeth properly, plaque begins to form. This is a sticky substance that, if you don’t remove it right away, will harden over time. And when it hardens, it turns into what we know as tartar.

Tartar – also known as dental calculus – isn’t cool. It damages your teeth and your gums, and it can contribute to gum disease if you let it fester.

Now, you might be protesting that you look after your teeth really well but still have tartar. How come? This is because bacteria is always present in your mouth. Each time you eat or drink something, you’re allowing more bacteria to swim around your mouth. And it’s really easy for this bacteria to form plaque.

This is gunk that essentially covers your teeth. It also gets under your gums and can wreak havoc with any dental work you’ve had done.

Because plaque contains bacteria, it’s going to cause some nasty side effects if it turns into tartar.

Tartar is easy to spot. While plaque is soft and sticky, tartar isn’t – it’s hard and rough. Try scraping it off with your fingernail – it’s impossible and feels almost like you’re scraping against concrete!

The problem is that, once you’ve got tartar, it can be hard to brush like you normally do. The tartar is covering your gum line, and as a consequence your brushing isn’t reaching the places it needs to.

Moreover, all this tartar is irritating your gums and damaging them. Over time, gum disease can easily set in.

Gum disease start with gingivitis, a common ailment caused by tartar. Gingivitis is fairly mild, and it can be treated and reversed pretty easily if you double down on your brushing and flossing, and even throw mouth wash into the mix.

However, if you don’t do anything to treat gingivitis, it can easily progress into periodontitis. This is an advanced form of gum disease. Symptoms include swollen and bloody gums, and it can even cause damage to your bones. This, over time, can lead to the loss of the tooth itself.

And all because you didn’t nip tartar in the bud.

If you’ve got tartar at the moment, the best thing to do is to act now. Here are our top remedies that you can do at home – no need to visit a dentist!

Home Remedies For Tartar

Baking Soda Mixture

Baking soda solves so many ailments, and it proves especially handy when it comes to tartar removal. Why? Baking soda contains antibacterial properties that get to work on your teeth, removing plaque and tartar.

All you need to do is take a single tbsp of baking soda and mix it with a pinch of salt (not too much).

Then, add this to your toothbrush before brushing your teeth with it. There’s no need to mix it with toothpaste or anything else.

Once you’re done, rinse your mouth out with water.

If you do this every other day, you should soon start to see some results. Once the tartar has gone, continue using baking soda for another week.

Aloe Vera With Glycerine Gel

Is there anything that aloe vera can’t heal?!

Aloe vera – otherwise known as a miracle! – works on tartar simply because it’s got powerful antimicrobial properties (similar to baking soda). It’s also rich in antioxidants that boost the healing process of your teeth while at the same time eliminating any pesky free radicals that have been causing you lots of problems.

For this essential home remedy, all you need to do is take a tsp of aloe vera gel and mix it with 4 tsp’s of vegetable glycerine, 4 tbsp’s of baking soda and ten drops of lemon essential oil.

Add all of this to a cup of water and then mix them together until you’ve got a paste. Take this paste and scrub your teeth before rinsing.

Do this once a day until you start to see results. Don’t stop there, however – this is an ongoing process, and plaque will return if you take it easy. As such keep using this scrub for around a week after you’ve removed your tartar.

Orange Peel

We know, we know – used orange peel sounds like a really gross way of removing tartar!

The thing is that it actually works, and as such it’s definitely a method worth exploring.

Why does it work? Orange peel combats all those nasty microorganisms that are swimming around your mouth. And the best thing? Oranges are cheap and you get to eat them first!

All you need to do is take a piece of orange peel and gently rub it onto your teeth for around 2 minutes.

There will be some juices in and around your teeth and your mouth after you’ve done this. Don’t worry – leave them there for around 2 minutes before rinsing with water.

It’s also possible to make a paste using orange peel. For this method, you just need to slice the peel up and mix with water. Then, apply it to your teeth before rinsing with water after a few minutes.

Perform the orange peel method at least two times a week until you see results.

Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are life!

Ask any nutritionist or health expert, and they’ll tell you to eat more sesame seeds – perhaps as many as a handful each day.

How come? Because sesame seeds are so beneficial. They might be tiny but they sure are mighty, too.

All you need for this home remedy is a tbsp of sesame seeds and your trusty toothbrush.

Then, spend some time chewing on your sesame seeds – but be careful not to swallow them. As the seeds are in your mouth, grab your toothbrush and get brushing.

Do this twice a week and it shouldn’t be long before you start seeing results.

Why does this even work?

It sounds like a bizarre method, but it works because sesame seeds are basically a natural scrub – and a very good one at that! Seeds give your teeth a good cleaning and polishing, and they also help to remove that pesky tartar.

Eat Figs

Chew sesame seeds, eat figs … who knew that removing tartar would be this easy?!

Admittedly, the idea of eating figs in a bid to remove tartar does make eliminating tartar sound too good to be true – but it isn’t!

All you need are 2-3 figs and a penchant for figs.

In other words, it’s kinda important that you like figs in the first place. If you don’t, you might want to get used to them.

So yeah, take 2-3 figs and chew them ever so slowly. Do this each day until you start seeing some results.

How come figs work, though?

It’s just a great way of cleaning your teeth and looking after your gums, because the process fires your salivary glands into action and boosts your secretion of saliva. Over time, this aids with the removal of both plaque and tartar.

Consume More Spicy Foods

If you happen to LOVE spicy foods, you’re in for a treat!

This is because nothing helps to get rid of tartar quite like some hot grub.

All you need to do is eat the likes of salsa and let the spices work their magic! It’s SO easy and you get to eat your fav foods at the same time.

How does it work? Well, spicy foods boost your secretion of saliva by stimulating your salivary glands. And when you’ve got more saliva, you’ve got more saliva to clean your teeth with!

Invest in a Dental Pick

Now, this is one we recommend with caution!

Dental picks are pretty sharp, and if you’re too aggressive with your picking action, you might damage or cut your gum. This can be sore, and it can also lead to the onset of an infection.

If you’ve got your picking technique nailed, grab yourself a dental pick from your local drug store and get picking!

The idea is to chisel away at hardened tartar that’s stuck to your teeth. This won’t be easy to do, and it’s a good idea to use the torch from your phone to help you see what you’re doing.

Scrape away and spit out any tartar that comes off. Then, rinse your mouth out with water once you’re all done.

Vitamin C-Rich Fruits

Fruits that are rich in vitamin C work wonders when it comes to tartar because they’re loaded with helpful antimicrobial properties and agent that destroy the bacteria in your mouth.

Which vitamin C-rich fruits should you go with? We recommend strawberries and tomatoes for best results.

All you have to do is chop your fruit up and turn it into pulp.

Then, apply the pulp to your teeth and leave it for around 5 minutes so that it can work its magic.

Rinse with water and do this twice a week for best results.

Try Lemons

Like aloe vera, lemons can pretty much cure any ailment you can think of – as well as any ailment you can’t think of.

They work when it comes to removing tartar from your teeth because they contain antimicrobial agents within their acidic content. This acidic content itself can dissolve your plaque and, over time, remove your tartar.

And because lemons are a natural bleach, they can also whiten your teeth.

For this method, all you need to do is take a tbsp of lemon juice and add it to your toothbrush after you’ve done a bit of scrubbing with toothpaste. Just softly rub the juice onto any affected areas, before leaving for a minute. Then, rinse with water.

Do this every day and you should soon start to see some results.

Antiseptic Oral Cleanser

Antiseptic oral cleanser is a type of mouthwash that is ideal for eliminating tartar from your teeth. Alternatively, you can use hydrogen peroxide instead. Both work because both contain antimicrobial properties which first loosen and then remove tartar.

Or, you could even use both solutions together. If you choose to do this, all you need to do is take 1 tbsp of antiseptic oral cleanser and mix it with 3 tbsp’s of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.

Then, gargle this mixture in your mouth for at least a minute. Spit out and then rinse your mouth with plain water. It’s probably best that you gargle with plain water too, in order to get rid of the taste left behind by the mouthwash.

Chew Lots of Fruit and Veg

Of course, you should be eating more fruit and veg anyway because it will benefit your health in lots of ways. But if you have tartar, instead of just eating fruit and veg for the sole purpose of getting healthier, you should focus on chewing everything more slowly.

Why?

Because it will help to give your teeth another clean the natural way!

Fruit and veg doesn’t stain your teeth like chocolate and candy does, and it also doesn’t fill your mouth with lots of harmful bacteria. So stock up on the likes of apples, celery, carrots, melons, plums, grapes, carrots and so on! Go crazy and chew lots and lots!

And if anyone ask why you seem to be chewing your food a lot more than usual lately, well, it’s up to you if you want to explain why.

How To Prevent Tartar?

Once you’ve eliminated your tartar, the job doesn’t stop there. If you don’t do the right things from now on, tartar will return again and again.

Here are some preventative measures that can help stop tartar from forming in the first place:

Avoid Sugary Foods

Sugary foods fill your mouth with lots and lots of bacteria. Over time, sugar and bacteria can damage your teeth so much that tartar begins to form.

From now on, try to avoid sugary food such as candy altogether, or at least try to limit your intake.

If you regularly snack on sugary foods, try to snack smarter. Swap candies for nuts, berries and dried fruit.

In fact, it isn’t just sugary foods that you need to be avoiding if you want to prevent tartar. From now on, limit your intake of starchy foods, too. Why? Because foods that are rich in starch release acids that harm your teeth.

From now on, just be a bit more careful in regards what you eat. Healthier food benefits your waistline, and it also benefits your oral health.

Brush at Least Twice a Day

If you’re in the habit of brushing once a day most days (or every day) it’s important that you lose this habit. Brushing at least twice a day – once in the morning and once again before bed – is key if you want to prevent tartar. If possible, brush your teeth three times a day.

When you do brush, brush for 2 minutes. If you currently brush for a minute or less, your efforts won’t be having enough of an effect. Sure, your teeth might feel okay at this time, but tartar is a silent, near-invisible invader that creeps up on you. To keep it away, make sure that you double your efforts.

When you brush your teeth, it’s also a good idea to mix up your routine. For example, if you usually start on the left side of your mouth, try starting on the right side from time to time. Why? Because we typically devote more care, attention and time to the area of our mouth that we brush first. Thus, there might be areas in your mouth that you’ve been neglecting without realising it – and this is where tartar can thrive.

Try an Electric Toothbrush

Do you have an electric toothbrush? If not, we strongly suggest that you get one. Why? Because studies have shown that it matters which toothbrush you use.

Electronic toothbrushes do a more effective job of ridding plaque from our teeth and gums than regular toothbrushes.

If you decide to go for an electric toothbrush, make sure that it has the American Dental Association seal of approval. That way, you can be sure of its quality.

Choose Special Toothpaste

If you’ve experienced a build-up of tartar, you’re obviously prone to it. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to buy tartar-control toothpaste.

Choose one that comes with fluoride, as this substance will help to improve enamel damage.

Floss!

Do you floss? If you don’t, now is the time to start flossing.

Flossing can work wonders for your oral health when done in conjunction with brushing. And that’s key – just because you floss, that doesn’t mean you should brush less. Aim to brush your teeth at least twice a day for 2 minutes at a time, and floss too.

Floss removes the bits of plaque wedged between your teeth that your toothbrush just can’t reach. This means that you can prevent plaque from forming in those areas that you find hard to see or reach.

And okay, so flossing is kinda gross when you pull lots of old food from out of your mouth. Maybe close your eyes?

Rinse A Lot

Rinse with mouthwash each day and you’ll be well on your way to preventing tartar from re-forming.

Invest in a good antiseptic mouthwash. This is a smart idea because this stuff really does work at killing bacteria that, if left to fester, leads to plaque, tartar and then gum disease.

Visit your Dentist Twice a year

We know, we know – lots of people are scared of the dentist. Either that or they can’t afford it.

But seeing your dentist twice a year (once every six months) is so important if you want to prevent tartar from coming back.

Stop Smoking

Smoking is linked to so many health problems, from cancer to gum disease.

Smoking can cause a mild issue like tartar, but if that isn’t enough to make you want to quit, it can also cause oral cancer. Not cool!

If you smoke, try hard to ween yourself off it.

If you don’t smoke, make sure you don’t get tempted to give it a try!

All in all, tartar is a pain – but it’s not something you need to go to the dentist with. There are plenty of remedies you can try at home that will remove tartar for you, but remember – the work doesn’t stop there. Tartar will keep on returning if you do the same things that brought it about in the first place. From now on, eat better, floss, avoid smoking as much as you can, and remember to keep rinsing your mouth out.

Oh, and if you have a fear of the dentist, it’s a good idea to get over this. Seeing your dentist twice a year can help to keep tartar away!

from Beauty And Tips Magazine