When people think about dental tartar, their minds often go to thoughts of teeth and cavities. While it's true that tartar can be a big threat for teeth and can cause dental decay that can lead to cavities, it's not the only risk that comes with tartar. Tartar is also dangerous for your gums. Here's why it's such a big problem.

What Tartar Is

Tartar is, simply, a hardened form of plaque. Plaque is a problem because it's a nesting ground for bacteria that can damage both your teeth and gums. However, plaque can be removed with flossing and brushing, and the development of plaque can often be slowed down or diminished with the use of mouthwash.

However, the same isn't true of tartar. Once tartar forms, it's there for good unless a dentist removes it themselves.

Why Tartar Is Such a Danger for Gums

Like plaque, tartar is a nesting ground for bacteria, which can induce gum disease. However, that's not all.

Tartar can almost act like a sort of unsanitary bandage. When it forms over the surface of the gums, it can prevent you from cleaning your gums effectively. This means that the "bandage" is not only constantly irritating your gums but can essentially lock in bacteria that you have no way of getting rid of. This bacteria can continue to worsen your gum disease.

As your gum disease worsens, the gums often pull away from the surface of the teeth. Once this happens, tartar can slip under the gums and attack it from both sides. This is not only a problem for your gums but can also result in worse damage to your teeth, as the tartar will be attacking a part of the teeth that are normally guarded by the gums and lack plaque and tartar-resistant dental enamel like the rest of the surface of your teeth.

What You Should Do About It

Once you have tartar on your teeth and gums, there's not much you can do about it yourself. The best thing you can do at this point is to make an appointment with your dentist for a cleaning.

Your dentist will strip away the tartar on and under your gums, which can jumpstart the process of your gums recovering from gum disease.

Beyond that, the best thing you can do is to floss and brush to help reduce the amount of tartar that develops in the future. However, it's impossible to prevent 100% of tartar, so make sure to always visit your dentist regularly for cleanings and exams.

For more information, contact a local dentist.