Wondering what calculus bridge is all about and you wish to know about it, its side effects, how to remove it and ways to prevent it? Do you brush your teeth soon after meal? If you don’t, you may notice a thin, sticky film coating in your teeth. If this coating or plaque is not removed by brushing and flossing, it can harden into tartar, which is also known as calculus or calcium deposits
It can form a calculus bridge (or tartar) when it coats many teeth. When this happens, you’ll need to contact your dentist to have that hardened calculus removed so as not to cause harm to the teeth and gums.
What is Calculus Bridge?
Dental calculus, most commonly called tartar, is a yellowish build up on the teeth of individuals who have accumulated plaque over a period of time. This is mostly due to heavy deposits of minerals e.g calcium on the surface of the teeth. It’s formed as a result pre-existing hardened plaques. The formation of calculus differs in individuals. Calculus occurs when compound from your food mixes with your saliva over time. If calculus formed is not treated, it can form a bridge on all your teeth, the gums and even the spaces between your teeth.
How can plaque turn into a Calculus bridge?
Plaque is quite easy to form on your teeth. It doesn’t take long for this sticky film to form after you eat or drink something starchy or sugary. When the residue from that food comes into contact with the bacteria in your mouth, acids are released, which break down the carbohydrates in your food and drinks. Now you have a mixture of carbohydrates, acids, and bacteria on your teeth that starts to produce a whitish coating. This is a plaque. The process, however, does not end there.
The plaque does not vanish on its own. If you don’t brush and floss your teeth right away to get rid of the sticky film, it can eventually solidify into tartar.
Dental calculus is the term for hardened dental plaque. It takes no time at all to complete the process.
According to research, it happens within 1 to 14 days. Tartar doesn’t only stay on your teeth, which makes it harmful. It has the potential to expand and advance all the way down to your gumline. Calculus, which can discolor and turn your teeth a tan or brown colour, can harm the tissue behind your gumline, causing gum disease and tooth decay. Since the quantity of tartar buildup varies from mouth to mouth, a calculus bridge may seem differently from one person to the other.
A calculus bridge will look like a dark or tan border along the edge of a teeth at your gumline. It may spread down into the gumline or further up along the surface of the teeth in more severe situations.
Calculus, often known as tartar, is a hardened plaque deposit on the teeth. As the accumulation increases, it might form a bridge between teeth.
Recommended Reading
>>>> How to Remove Tartar from Teeth
SIDE EFFECTS OF CALCULUS BRIDGE
The presence of a thick layer of calculus on your teeth can be obvious. Calculus can lead to many dental health problems of diseases. Some side effects caused by a dental calculus bridge are:
(1) Halitosis plaque and tartar buildup: Halitosis is the medical term for this illness which can cause bad breath smell.
(2) Gingivitis: Gingivitis happens when gums become irritated or red. One may initially detect it if you see bleeding when brushing or flossing your teeth. If left untreated, it can lead to periodontitis, a more serious form of gum disease.
(3) Receding gums: Calculus can lead to a periodontal disease also known as receding gums. Receding of gums occurs when the gum recedes from the teeth thereby exposing more of the teeth and allowing bacteria to enter the spaces between the gums and teeth.
(4) Cavities Tartar: Cavities tartar on teeth can function as a barrier between bacteria and your toothbrush. Plaques and tartar can also cause small holes in your teeth’s enamel, allowing germs and acid to seep down into the tooth and cause cavities.
(5) Loss of Teeth: If calculus bridge is left untreated, dental calculus can progress to gum disease, which can lead to the loss of one or more teeth.
Calculus Bridge Removal
1. You can’t wipe away a bridge of calcified plaque or calculus that has formed on your teeth. It will need to be removed by a dentist or dental hygienist.
2. A professional cleaning can occasionally get rid of all of it, or at least the majority of it.
A professional cleaning will not be enough to eliminate calculus that has penetrated or gone below the gumline.
3. A dental hygienist may then scrape and carefully remove the hardened plaque and tartar from around your gumline with a handheld tool called a dental scaler, which has a little hook on the end.
After scaling your teeth, the hygienist may use a treatment called root planing to smooth up regions on the root surfaces.
4. Ultrasonic tools can also be used to eliminate calculus accumulation. If the dental calculus is extensive, more than one session may be required to remove it. After this thorough cleaning, your gums may feel painful.
What should be done to avoid calculus bridge?
When it comes to reducing tartar growth and the production of a calculus bridge, dental hygiene is crucial. Since dental calculus can form within a few days of plaque production, you’ll want to be cautious about removing plaque before it reaches that stage.
To maintain your mouth healthy and tartar-free, the American Dental Association (ADA) suggests doing the following steps:
(1) Brush your teeth twice a day using a fluoride-containing toothpaste. Make sure you brush for at least 2 minutes each time.
(2) This procedure, known as interdental cleaning, involves flossing or using another tool to remove dirt from between your teeth. Sugary drinks and snacks should be avoided. If you eat fewer sugary foods, the bacteria in your mouth will have fewer opportunities to mix with the sugar left behind and produce plaque on your teeth. one should regularly visit a dentist for a checkup.
(3) A dentist can look for signs of gum disease, such as gingivitis or receding gums, as well as dental decay, in your teeth and gums. They can also learn about your behaviors and give suggestions for techniques to help you stay to a schedule. Some investigations, such as a 2008 double-blind clinical trial.
(4) Trusted Source and a 2013 review of over 30 studies, have been done. According to this source, tartar-control toothpaste can help prevent tartar buildup, which can contribute to the formation of a calculus bridge. Look for a toothpaste that contains both fluoride and triclosan, which has been shown in trials to help battle plaque bacteria.
Conclusion
In conclusion, preventing tartar or calculus buildup is the most effective way to safeguard your teeth.
Brushing and flossing your teeth on a regular basis will help prevent plaque buildup, which means you may never need a calculus bridge removed.