Removal of tartar by folk remedies

We all want to have healthy and beautiful teeth. And we all sincerely believe that we make every effort to make our smile shine with health and whiteness. But, as practice has shown during surveys and preventive examinations, 80% of people do not properly or sufficiently care for their oral cavity. In this regard, 50% of respondents were found to have tartar deposits. After processing the results of filling out questionnaires of people with hardened deposits, it turned out that only 20% of patients are ready to go to a dental clinic for professional teeth cleaning. The remaining 80% preferred to leave everything as is or fight hardened plaque on their own. The Internet is full of recipes for removing tartar using folk remedies. And now we will consider the effectiveness of each of them.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ]

Toothpastes as a folk remedy against tartar

Each brand of oral care products certainly has a toothpaste that, according to the manufacturer, will not only help whiten teeth, but also get rid of such an unpleasant phenomenon as tartar. How true is this information? And what do these toothpastes consist of? To answer these questions, you should first understand the origin of hard plaque. Tartar is a natural process of hardening of soft plaque. It consists of mineral substances bonded like glue by food debris and bacteria. It takes only two weeks for hard plaque to form from soft plaque. Therefore, it is very important to maintain oral hygiene. Most often, anti-tartar pastes contain a large number of abrasive substances that “rip off” plaque from teeth. But the problem is that along with plaque, these pastes remove the protective layer from tooth enamel, so dentists strongly advise against using this type of paste for more than a month. Abrasiveness is indicated by special symbols, namely RDA. Toothpastes with an RDA value of less than 100 are regular toothpastes for daily use. If the RDA value is higher than 100, then this toothpaste can be called whitening and helps prevent tartar. Can a toothpaste with a high RDA get rid of tartar? Relatively yes. For example, a toothpaste with an abrasiveness of more than 200 units with constant use can remove small hard deposits, but only supragingival ones. Subgingival stones can only be removed by professional teeth cleaning in a dentist's office. In addition, if you have a large amount of tartar, then even the most highly abrasive toothpaste will be powerless. Also, toothpastes for combating tartar may contain enzymes, pyrophosphates that break down plaque and active oxygen elements.

How to Choose a Toothpaste to Fight Tartar

When choosing a toothpaste to combat hardened plaque, you need to pay attention to:

• RDA level - the higher it is, the larger the abrasive substances and, accordingly, their quantity is greater. For effective removal of hard dental plaque, an RDA value of more than 100 units is needed, but it is worth noting that for sensitive teeth this value should not exceed 25 units;
• the presence of fluorine or fluorides - although these are useful substances, in large doses they act toxically. The level of these substances in toothpastes should not exceed 0.1-06%;
• SLS – sodium lauryl sulfate – a foaming agent that has a negative effect on the body. Ideally, it should be absent;
• the presence of triclosan - an antibiotic that, in theory, should kill pathogenic flora, but along with the pathogenic flora, it also kills the beneficial "inhabitants" of our oral cavity, which negatively affects the acid-base balance in the mouth;
• calcium carbonate - is used as an abrasive substance, but if it is in the composition next to fluorine or fluoride, then calcium carbonate neutralizes its effect (in fact, such a toothpaste is useless).

Bottom line: toothpastes as a folk remedy against removing tartar work very, very poorly. They can only remove a small amount of hard plaque, but they can easily damage the enamel.

Decoctions and infusions as a folk remedy against tartar

Our folk medicine can always offer a lot of options for treating all sorts of problems. Hardened soft plaque is no exception. Having reviewed the literature, we will highlight and analyze several examples of folk remedies against tartar.

1. Celandine as a folk remedy against tartar. Folk medicine sources say that in order to get rid of tartar, you need to rinse your mouth twice a day with a celandine decoction. Let's figure it out. Celandine contains organic acids that prevent tartar deposits, but their concentration in the decoction is so low that it is unlikely to dissolve existing hardened plaque. In addition, celandine is very toxic to the body, it causes inhibition of the central nervous system, so it should be used with great caution.
2. Burdock root and bean pods as a folk remedy against tartar. Another method of combating hardened plaque that should be taken internally. Burdock root contains palmitic and stearic acid, as well as substances that regulate metabolism. Bean pods contain allantoic acid, rich in vitamins and microelements. This folk remedy is based on the normalization of mineral metabolism, so it will not be able to remove existing tartar.
3. A decoction of walnut (its bark), according to traditional medicine, can also cope with the deposition of tartar. For a successful effect, it is recommended to make a strong decoction and dip a toothbrush in it and brush your teeth for at least five minutes. Perhaps this method would have helped to cope with plaque in those days when there were no toothpastes, but now, with the discovery of innovative technologies, this method is ineffective. In addition, walnut bark has a dark color and can stain porous enamel.
4. Horsetail decoction as a folk remedy against tartar. According to folk healers, horsetail normalizes mineral metabolism and promotes less accumulation of hard plaque, so it should be taken internally. But in practice, its use, except for the diuretic effect, does not produce any other effect. By the way, horsetail should not be used by people with acute and chronic kidney diseases.
5. A decoction of linden flowers with sunflower heads. Linden flowers are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, and sunflower heads are rich in organic acids. It is because of these properties that it is recommended to rinse the mouth with this decoction at least twice a day. This folk remedy against tartar is not able to remove existing hard deposits, but will prevent the growth of new plaque.

[ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ]

Other folk remedies against tartar

In addition to herbal decoctions and infusions, traditional medicine suggests using other methods to combat hardened deposits, namely:

1. A mixture of lemon juice and radish. According to folk healers, such an "elixir" will quickly remove hardened plaque. Yes, it contains aggressive acids, so it will actively participate in the removal of tartar, but it will also greatly harm tooth enamel, removing its protective layer. All dentists unanimously say that it is strictly forbidden to brush your teeth after eating fruit, since the enamel becomes loose and very sensitive after the action of fruit acids.
2. Using honey as a folk remedy against tartar. Honey is very rich in useful substances, has a bactericidal and antioxidant effect. Folk medicine sources recommend rinsing the mouth with a solution of honey in water (one tablespoon per glass of water). Our opinion is that consuming honey internally will give much more benefit to the teeth and the body as a whole than such a dubious "product translation".
3. Using birch sap as a folk remedy for removing tartar. Traditional medicine says that in order for hard plaque to disappear, you need to drink half a glass of birch sap at least twice a day. Birch sap is a powerful antioxidant, and it also perfectly stimulates metabolism. Apparently, this is what prompted healers to include this product in the means against hard deposits. But, unfortunately, as practice has shown, birch sap is not able to remove existing tartar.

Conclusions on the use of folk remedies against tartar

Having analyzed the composition of the plants and studied their properties in detail, we came to the conclusion that none of the proposed methods of removing tartar using folk remedies will cope as well as a dentist with professional equipment will do. And sometimes, on the contrary, they can even lead to negative consequences in the form of enamel sensitivity. Therefore, you should not waste your nerves and time on such dubious methods, but rather make an appointment at a dental office, where you will be quickly, efficiently and completely painlessly helped to get rid of hardened plaque.