Some friends who have their teeth cleaned often frown while opening their mouths and say, "I brush my teeth every day, why do I have tartar again?" Sometimes even after less than half a year, the doctor shakes their head and says, "tartar has grown back." What's confusing is - what's going on with this thing? Didn't you choose the right toothpaste? Did you brush your teeth for nothing? And it may be the root cause of your bad breath. Don't worry, let's first figure out what dental calculus is. 1、 How are dental calculus formed? After eating, drinking milk tea, and gnawing on chicken legs every day, soft plaque is left on the surface of teeth. If you look under a microscope, you will find that it is a semi transparent but bacterial "biofilm" that adheres tightly to the surface of the teeth, almost enveloping the entire tooth. This is dental plaque, which is a "collaborative product" of oral bacteria, food residues, and saliva proteins, quietly growing every day, every hour, and every moment. When dental plaque is not completely brushed off, it will accumulate and become thicker. At the same time, it continuously absorbs minerals (especially calcium, phosphorus, and other elements) from its saliva, and soon it begins to "petrify" and gradually harden. Strictly speaking, this is the embryonic form of dental calculus. However, when it first forms, it is still relatively loose and soft, and can be cleaned off by brushing teeth carefully and using dental floss. But once it completely calcifies, it's like putting a hard shell on the teeth, and ordinary toothbrushes are powerless to completely remove it. However, dental calculus is not impossible to fall off. As dental calculus continues to increase, many doctors have even encountered patients who claim to have "broken a piece of their tooth". In fact, what is broken is dental calculus. To be precise, the fallen dental calculus is just the tip of the iceberg. 2、 Why do you brush your teeth every day and still have tartar? Brushing your teeth can indeed remove most of the dental plaque, but unfortunately, brushing your teeth is not a panacea. The problem is that there are too many hidden places for dental plaque to accumulate. Toothbrush cannot reach the gaps between teeth, the distal end of the molars (near the throat), and the gingival sulcus (the junction of teeth and gums), which are the easiest places for plaque to hide. Even if we brush our teeth carefully, it is difficult to completely remove them. So, even if you brush your teeth twice a day, plaque can still "rebuild its home" in these corners. Brushing your teeth incorrectly horizontally, applying too much force, using too little time, or not paying attention to the angle - all of these can cause key areas to be missed. If you only brush the outer side of your teeth and ignore the inner side, it's like washing your face without washing your neck. In addition, brushing teeth while using your phone has almost become a common problem among modern people. Some people may hold a toothbrush for two minutes, but in reality, it may take less than a minute to brush their teeth. The oral environment is indeed different. Some people do not have many dental calculus after 20 years of teeth cleaning, while others accumulate them like mountains in less than six months. This is partly related to their daily hygiene habits, and partly related to the composition of their saliva. People with high mineral content and alkaline pH in their saliva are more likely to cause plaque calcification. This also explains why dental calculus is most likely to occur on the inner side of the lower front teeth and the outer side of the upper back teeth, which are the openings of the salivary glands where minerals are continuously supplied, making them the "high-yield areas" for dental calculus. 3、 Dental calculus is not only unsightly, but can also "create bad breath". Although many people think bad breath is caused by poor stomach, in fact, most people's bad breath is caused by their mouth. The most common type is actually periodontitis patients with a large accumulation of dental calculus. The surface of dental calculus is rough and porous, resembling a luxurious hotel for bacteria. It will adsorb food residues, allowing bacteria to accumulate and break down proteins, releasing sulfides with a foul egg odor - also known as "bad breath". Of course, bad breath is just one of the insignificant hazards. Moreover, the persistent presence of dental calculus can stimulate the gums, causing long-term inflammation and bleeding, and even leading to symptoms of periodontitis such as loose teeth, pain, and enlarged gaps between teeth. 4、 How to prevent dental calculus in daily life? In fact, preventing dental calculus is the process of preventing plaque from "petrifying". The key is to regularly block the growth of dental plaque and remove hygiene blind spots. The correct way to brush teeth is to choose the "Babbitt brushing method". The key point is to have the toothbrush at a 45 ° angle to the teeth, lightly press it on the gingival sulcus, and vibrate horizontally for a short distance. It should be noted that the gingival sulcus where the teeth and gums meet is the area where dental calculus tends to accumulate the most, and often the earliest dental calculus begins to develop and grow from here. Additionally, it is important to ensure that the inner, outer, and occlusal surfaces of the teeth are fully covered. Additionally, the brushing time should be sufficient. Brushing your teeth for at least 2 minutes each time is already a very low requirement. If you don't believe it, remember the time you brush your teeth next time. For many people, using dental floss or interdental brushes is even more important than brushing their teeth. Toothbrushes are almost unable to clean the gaps between teeth and their junctions, where there is also a considerable amount of dental plaque, while dental floss can remove plaque between teeth. Don't be afraid that the use of dental floss will make your gaps between teeth bigger. On the contrary, only when the gaps between teeth are clean and there are fewer dental calculus, will the gums reduce recession and be less likely to have "gaps". Regular teeth cleaning has already formed tartar, which cannot be removed by any toothpaste or toothbrush. Only through ultrasonic cleaning (also known as "teeth cleaning") can it be shaken off completely. And the reason why the word "regularly" is written is because dental calculus continues to form day after day, even after just washing the teeth, dental calculus is forming at a very slow rate. Therefore, we generally recommend that everyone wash their teeth once every 1-2 years. For patients who have already been diagnosed with periodontitis, they can have an oral examination every six months. If the doctor finds that a large amount of dental calculus has accumulated, they need to wash their teeth in advance and may require other periodontal basic treatment procedures. (New Society)