Tartar accumulation on teeth often raises concerns about gum health, especially whether gums can recover their original position after tartar removal. Understanding the relationship between tartar buildup and gum health clarifies the potential for gum recovery.
Tartar’s Impact on Gums
Tartar, or dental calculus, is hardened plaque that adheres to tooth surfaces, both above and below the gum line. Plaque is a sticky film of bacteria, food particles, and saliva that constantly forms on teeth. If not removed through daily brushing and flossing, plaque hardens into tartar within 24 to 72 hours.
Tartar creates a rough surface that attracts more plaque and bacteria, making effective cleaning difficult. This bacterial accumulation irritates gum tissues, leading to inflammation called gingivitis. Gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease, causes red, swollen, and often bleeding gums.
Untreated, this inflammation can progress to periodontitis, a more severe gum disease. In periodontitis, bacterial toxins and the body’s inflammatory response break down the tissues and bone supporting the teeth. As bone recedes, gum tissue often pulls away, exposing root surfaces. This process, known as gum recession, directly results from the destructive cycle initiated by tartar and bacterial infection.
Professional Tartar Removal
Professional tartar removal eliminates hardened plaque and tartar deposits that cannot be removed through regular brushing and flossing. The primary method is scaling, using specialized instruments to scrape tartar from tooth surfaces, both above and below the gum line. This removes the source of irritation and bacterial accumulation.
Scaling is often accompanied by root planing, especially when tartar has accumulated below the gum line, forming pockets. Root planing smooths tooth root surfaces, removing remaining tartar, bacterial toxins, and rough spots. A smooth root surface helps gum tissue reattach more effectively, reducing pocket depth and promoting gum healing.
Gum Regeneration Potential
After professional tartar removal, gums can heal significantly. Eliminating tartar and bacteria reduces inflammation, causing swollen gum tissues to firm up and reattach more closely to tooth surfaces. This healing reduces the depth of periodontal pockets, which are spaces where bacteria thrive, improving gum health and creating a more stable environment for teeth.
However, it is important to distinguish between gum healing and true gum regeneration. While inflamed gum tissue can heal and re-establish a firmer attachment, lost gum tissue from recession typically does not “grow back” naturally. Gum recession involves physical loss of gum tissue and often underlying bone. The body’s natural healing mechanisms cannot regenerate this lost tissue to its prior level.
Natural gum regrowth is limited by complex cellular processes. Healing often involves scar tissue or reattachment at a lower level, not a complete restoration of original tissue height. Therefore, while gums become healthier and less inflamed after tartar removal, the visible gum line may remain receded if significant tissue loss occurred.
Treating Gum Recession
When natural gum regrowth is limited after tartar removal, various dental procedures can address significant gum recession. Gum grafting is a common surgical option to cover exposed tooth roots, prevent further recession, and improve gum line aesthetics. Types include connective tissue grafts, which use tissue from the roof of the mouth attached to the receded area.
Other techniques include free gingival grafts, using palate tissue to increase gum in the affected area, and pedicle grafts, repositioning adjacent gum tissue to cover exposed roots. The pinhole surgical technique is a minimally invasive procedure where a small hole is made in the gum, and specialized instruments loosen and slide gum tissue over the receded area. These treatments restore protective gum tissue and improve overall oral health.
Preventing Tartar Recurrence
Preventing tartar recurrence is key to maintaining gum health and avoiding further recession. A consistent oral hygiene routine is the most effective proactive measure.
This includes brushing teeth at least twice daily for two minutes with a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Proper technique effectively removes plaque before it hardens into tartar.
Daily flossing is crucial, removing plaque and food particles from between teeth and beneath the gum line, areas toothbrushes cannot easily reach.
Regular dental check-ups and professional cleanings, typically every six months, are essential for removing formed tartar and monitoring gum health. Dental professionals use specialized tools to remove hardened deposits.
Lifestyle factors also play a role; limiting sugary and starchy foods, which feed oral bacteria, and avoiding tobacco use significantly reduce the risk of tartar buildup and gum disease.