How to Prevent Tartar Buildup: A 5-Step Solution

To stop tartar formation, it helps to first understand the process. The soft, sticky layer that forms on teeth after eating is called plaque; if it isn't brushed away within 24-48 hours, it combines with minerals in saliva and hardens into tartar. Plaque can be removed with a toothbrush, but tartar can only be removed by a dentist.

Brushing twice a day for two minutes each time is the basic rule, but tartar tends to build up in 'blind spots' near the salivary glands, such as the back surfaces of teeth and the inner side of the lower front teeth — make sure your brush reaches these areas. Since most tartar starts in the spaces between teeth where a brush can't reach, flossing or using an interdental brush every evening significantly reduces tartar formation.

Some toothpastes contain pyrophosphate and fluoride that slow the mineralization of plaque into tartar, but they don't dissolve existing tartar — they only delay new buildup. Diet matters too: sugary foods fuel bacterial acid production, while drinking plenty of water washes away food debris and dilutes saliva to balance mineral buildup; fibrous vegetables like apples or carrots provide natural mechanical cleaning when bitten into.

No matter how well you care for your teeth, some tartar can still form in certain areas depending on your saliva composition; professional cleaning every six months prevents these deposits from turning into gum inflammation or bone loss.

The belief that professional cleaning scratches or thins tooth enamel is completely false; modern ultrasonic devices simply vibrate tartar off the surface without damaging the tooth. The real damage comes from the chronic infection that unremoved tartar causes beneath the gums.