Tartar Removal from Children's Teeth

Have you noticed a yellowish or brownish substance forming along the gumline of your child? Have you tried brushing it away, but no matter how hard you scrub, it just won't go away? If this is the case, your child may have tartar buildup.

What Exactly Is Tartar?

When dental plaque is not removed from your teeth on a regular basis, it calcifies, which means minerals from your saliva combine with the plaque to form tartar, a hard, almost cement-like substance (or dental calculus). Tartar has a yellow or brown colour, a rough and crusty texture, and can form above or below the gumline (supragingival calculus) (subgingival calculus). It adheres strongly to children's teeth and is impossible to remove with a toothbrush.

How to Get Tartar Out of Children's Teeth

Scaling is a procedure that a paediatric dentist can use to remove tartar from your child's teeth. The dentist will use a sharp tool (called a scaler) to carefully scrape tartar off the teeth, including any tartar that has formed below the gumline, during a scaling. A special electronic scaler may be used if the tartar buildup is extensive.

The paediatric dentist will polish your child's teeth after removing tartar to help prevent future dental plaque buildup. Tooth polishing is a painless procedure that involves applying a gritty paste to the surface of your child's teeth to smooth them. Tooth polishing also removes light stains from the tooth's surface.

Is it painful for children to remove tartar?

No, not in general. Because many children with tartar have only a small amount of tartar buildup, the scaling treatment is a relatively quick process that most children tolerate well.

How to Avoid Tartar Buildup on Children's Teeth

The best way to prevent tartar buildup is to regularly clean plaque off your child's teeth so that it never hardens into tartar. Begin brushing your child's teeth twice a day as soon as the first tooth appears, and floss your child's teeth daily as soon as two or more teeth touch. Don't know how? Check out our guides to brushing and flossing your child's teeth, or request that your child's paediatric dentist demonstrate proper technique at his or her next appointment.