Tartar. Sounds like a lovely dessert doesn’t it? It is far from this, and if left untreated it will eventually cause HUGE problems. Do read on if you care about your general health!
So first things first… What exactly is a dental scale and polish? A dentist or a hygienist can carry out a scale and polish, but generally speaking this is one of the main roles that a hygienist carries out. It involves cleaning deposits and stains from your teeth; scaling away tartar build-up from your tooth surfaces, followed by polishing your teeth with a special dental brush & paste. Special dental instruments are used to scale the teeth; these are perfectly safe and don’t cause damage.
Some people may not be aware that there is a build-up of tartar on their teeth. If you run your tongue along the backs of your teeth, this is where you would feel tartar build up. But the not knowing part is why it’s so important to have regular check-ups, so that a dentist can judge this.
Tartar cannot be removed by simply brushing your teeth. So if it is not treated correctly it will continue to build-up. Left untreated, tartar can eventually lead to gum disease which means bad breath, bleeding gums and even tooth loss – yes – not nice!
Your dentist or hygienist are the only people who can tell you how often you should have a scale and polish, everybody is different and there is no standard set time for everybody, but generally speaking if your gums and teeth are healthy, every 6 months is recommended, or in some circumstance even once a year.
