Tartar

Since calculus cannot be removed with a brush or floss, dentists use special instruments to remove it. Patients need to visit the dentist at least twice a year for a regular checkup. That is when dentists do an exam and if there is a need to do a cleaning they remove the calculus. There are people who are more prone to having tartar, so the dentist might decide to schedule a cleaning more often. It can be done by hand instruments including scalers, curettes, files, chisels and more. All of these are applied to the hard calculus substance and are mostly used to remove the subgingival part of the tartar. This type of calculus is located in periodontal pockets, so removing it completely has a very important meaning in the treatment of periodontal disease. In the past, the dentists didn’t have any ultrasonic instruments so they had to remove all calculus by hand. Curettes are the instruments applied to the subgingival tartar. They are created in a way so they can perfectly adapt to the surfaces of teeth for a more effective final result. Ultrasonic scalers are a huge advancement in dentistry. They are very effective in removing tartar, plaque, discolorations and more. These scalers create ultrasonic vibrations that break down the hard substance and remove it from the surface.