If you’re like me, you wake up every morning brush your teeth, take a shower, choose your cutest fit, brush your hair, do your make-up, and eat a quick breakfast before tending to your hectic schedule.
It feels almost impossible to make time to think about if you’re really taking care of yourself - mentally, physically, emotionally, and…dentally? Don’t worry you’re not alone!
It is a lot to juggle along with the other million little things you have to remember but your oral health is SO important!
The consequences of neglecting your teeth and not practicing good oral hygiene can lead to lots of issues including bad breath, tooth decay, and tartar buildup.
Tartar forms as a result of not cleaning the plaque from your teeth for a long time.
Plaque is a colorless film of bacteria that naturally forms in your mouth on the surface of the teeth creating a stickier surface.
However, when that bacteria mixes with sugary foods and other food particles those remnants then build up on your teeth and when the build up hardens, it turns into a darker substance known as tartar.
Tartar
Tartar is composed of three major chemicals: calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, and calcium carbonate.
The tartar buildup can feel hard and heavy on your teeth.
The worst part about tartar is that if left alone one can eventually develop gum disease which could eventually lead to tooth loss and other serious conditions.
So to help, we thought we’d share some of our easiest and quickest tips on how to remove tartar from your teeth to add to your everyday or self-care Sunday routine.
Tips To Removing Tartar From Teeth
1. Rinse With An Antiseptic Cleanser After Brushing
Plaque forms naturally but when plaque stays, tartar forms which can cause way more serious health concerns.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to tackle plaque before it turns to tartar.
Probably the easiest method to help reduce the amount of plaque and ensure the health of your teeth is by adding a mouthwash along with your regular brushing routine.
Many dentists recommend using a hydrogen peroxide-based mouthwash after brushing to help manage tartar and plaque buildup.
Some of the most popular antiseptic mouthwashes include Listerine, Colgate Peroxyl, and Orajel Antiseptic Rinse.
2. Make The Switch From Manual To Electric
While many still debate about which method is better (manual or electric) many professionals have found that if tartar builds easily and you are a manual brusher then making the switch to electric toothbrushes.
This can be an easy way to better clean your gum line and help improve your dental health.
Any brush should do as long as it has the ADA seal of approval.
3. Don't Skip The Floss
The American Dental Association highly recommends that everyone floss on a regular basis along with their regular brushing routine.
Though brushing your teeth and rinsing with mouthwash is great for cleaning the surface area of your teeth, it’s the corners that are a bit harder to reach.
Flossing is a great tool to use to get the food debris out from the corners where they naturally accumulate.
This is crucial to maintaining good dental hygiene and encourages all her patients to do so post dental cleaning.
4. Brushing With Baking Soda
Home remedies are a great way to stay cost effective for those who are trying to budget.
However, it is important to keep in mind that our teeth require very precise care.
One thing to consider before brushing your teeth with random household items is that brushing with something that is not good for your teeth can lead to a chemical process that removes calcium from tooth enamel called demineralization.
Luckily, one of the items that you more than likely can find hiding about your shelves that protects against demineralization is baking soda.
Carbohydrates from starchy foods can lower the pH levels in your mouth causing an acidic environment which can quickstart the demineralization process.
Baking soda helps to reduce demineralization because it has a high pH level which helps to balance the pH levels in your mouth.
5. Oil Pulling
Oil pulling is another technique that can help lower antimicrobial properties in your mouth.
It is an easy method to remove those more harmful bacterias. Three oils that are good to use for this technique are almond oil, sesame oil, and coconut oil.
Perhaps the most effective way to perform this technique is with coconut oil because it holds anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Oil pulling requires 3 easy steps.
First, place 1 tablespoon of warm oil in your mouth. Next, swish oil around your mouth for 5-10 minutes. Finally, spit the oil into a trash can or towel. You want to avoid spitting any oil down the sink as it could clog your pipes.
6. Ditch The Sweets
Snacks are an essential day-to-day go-to that helps us get all the nutrients we need.
Unfortunately, our sweet tooth normally gets the better of us, and more often than not, we opt to grab a chocolate croissant or a handful of honey nut cheerios to satisfy my midday craving.
Not only can starchy foods be bad for your overall health, but they could also be contributing to dental plaque!
Fruits and vegetables can help naturally remove the buildup of plaque. Some of the best fruits and veggies to snack on instead are apples, celery sticks, carrots, peppers, and figs.
Figs are especially helpful in large quantities.
Try placing 3 or 4 figs into your mouth, and chew slowly. Try to expose them to your gums and teeth as much as possible. This should hopefully ensure that your salivary glands kickstart your saliva production.
Saliva is a great natural way on how to remove plaque from your teeth as it also harbors antimicrobial properties.
7. Aloe Vera and Glycerine
Aloe vera is helpful in numerous ways and is a staple in my home garden.
But, did you know it could help reduce plaque build-up?
Start by combining one cup of water with half a cup of our trusty friend, baking soda, and a teaspoon of aloe vera gel. Then add a dose of lemon essential oil and four teaspoons of vegetable glycerin.
Your mixture should then be ready for you to use. Brush your teeth with the mixture to help remove plaque.
8. Rub Teeth With An Orange Peel
If brushing with vegetable glycerin sounds a little scary then you might consider a simpler method such as rubbing an orange peel directly onto your teeth.
Vitamin C is great at helping to fight those tartar-building microorganisms on your teeth’ enamel.
In addition to helping remove that sticky film layer from your teeth, the orange peel can also help whiten your teeth!
Just mash up the peel and place it onto the stained areas of your teeth and leave for about 2-5 minutes before rinsing.
9. Chew On Some Sesame Seeds
Sesame seeds are great to add to many dishes for an extra crunch but they also can act as a dental scrub for those pearly whites.
They are tough enough to clean your teeth and remove plaque but gentle enough to do this without harming the enamel on your teeth.
Just toss a handful of seeds into your mouth and start chewing - but be sure not to swallow! Then you’ll take a dry toothbrush and brush your teeth with the seeds.
The seeds act as a scrub and will gently polish the surface area of your teeth.
10. Dental Scraper
Those little tools that your dentist uses for tartar removal are known as plaque scrapers or picks.
They are normally long and thin with a hook at the end. These tools are essential to getting into those hard-to-reach areas and cleaning around the gum tissues.
Scraping should NEVER feel painful, so if you try this technique and there seems to be a painful sensation then stop with this particular method and perhaps seek out a dentist as this may be a sign of a more serious underlying problem.
Since the tool is sharp make sure to stay vigilant and fully aware of your movements to avoid scraping off the enamel, causing injuries, or creating a cosmetic problem.
11. Gargle With Vinegar
Though this isn’t the most pleasant way to remove plaque, it is guaranteed to be one of the safest home remedies as it's natural so it won’t harm your teeth.
White vinegar is an acetic acid that is great for killing those unwanted mouth bacterias and preventing infections in the mouth.
To make your vinegar solution simply mix two tablespoons of white vinegar, one tablespoon of salt, and four ounces of warm water. Gargle with your mixture and rinse.
Repeat these 2 - 3 days out of the week for maximum results.
12. Fluoride Toothpaste
Fluoride is essential in helping to repair damage to your teeth’ enamel.
These tubes of fluoride toothpaste will also normally have a substance known as triclosan which helps fight against the main bacteria found in plaque.
13. Change Your Diet
Dietary changes are another easy and effective way to help prevent those harmful bacterias from forming.
Sugary, starchy, and acidic foods can contribute to the buildup of plaque and tartar. The bacteria in your mouth thrive on these types of food and when exposed to them can release harmful acids.
Think of it this way every time you eat, you’re feeding the bacteria in your mouth.
If you’re constantly eating sugary foods and snacks, then you’re giving the bacteria in your mouth all it needs to evolve into more serious issues like tartar buildup.
Tartar then hardens which entraps harmful bacteria that can morph into a periodontal disease known as gingivitis.
In this stage, gums become inflamed and can pull away from the teeth exposing the tooth roots causing your teeth to loosen or even fall out completely. If left untreated this can even cause heart disease.
14. Add Cloves To Your Grocery Shopping
Believe it or not, cloves have been used to treat toothaches for a very long time, centuries even.
You can find cloves in most grocery stores. There are a few different variations on how to use cloves.
First, place the ground spice in a cup with a little bit of water, until it has a paste-like consistency.
Then, directly apply the paste to the stained areas of your teeth. Leave for 5-7 minutes and then rinse.
If you’re having trouble obtaining that paste-like consistency, then try mixing a teaspoon of the ground spice with a teaspoon of olive oil.
Again, apply the paste to the stained areas of your teeth and rinse with warm water.
15. Schedule Regular Dental Cleanings
Naturally, the best way to avoid oral health problems is to schedule regular cleanings at your dentist’s office.
Regular dental checkups are crucial to dental care and overall good oral health.
Tartar deposits can harden to a point where a professional cleaning may be the only way to avoid serious damage.
A dental professional will be equipped with special tools such as the picks I mentioned earlier, a dental scaler, and a water flosser that can get into those hard-to-reach areas.
Be sure to contact your healthcare provider to find an office that works best for you to start scheduling your dental appointments.
During your visit, be sure to ask about a fluoride treatment to better protect against tartar build-up.
Tartar Buildup
If for some reason, you haven’t been able to get to a dentist for a while, the build-up on your teeth can turn into dental calculus which is basically a result of mineral build-up.
At this stage, only a dentist will be able to help remove this layer as they would have to use an ultrasonic device that uses high-frequency vibrations along with water to remove this layer.
If left untreated the calculus can create a protective shield for the bacteria on your teeth.
This could allow the bacteria to release those harmful acids that will break down the enamel on your teeth and ultimately lead to tooth decay.
Make sure to use any of these 15 ways to help prevent tartar buildup and have your teeth looking nice and clean!
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Laura says
Great tips!! Didn’t know how useful some of these household items could be. Definitely trying the orange peel!