Plaque Vs. Tartar: 3 Key Differences

Having healthy teeth is a sign of great oral hygiene. Healthy teeth are a very big part of your personality. It makes your smile more lovely and beautiful. However, regardless of maintaining a very healthy oral hygiene, you might face some tooth problems. Some of the most common oral problems are plaque and tartar.

Now, if you are confused about the difference between plaque and tartar, then you are not the only one. It is one of the most commonly asked questions. To clear your confusion, we have prepared a comparative study on plaque vs tartar.

Plaque vs. Tartar: An Overview

Now before we drive straight into the difference, we would like to give a brief description of what we will be talking about. This will help you to understand the discussion better, and you can easily grasp all the information.

What Is Plaque?

To provide a very easy and general definition of plaque, plaque is a soft and sticky substance that develops on your teeth as you know that there are bacteria in your mouth.

These bacterial generally develops when we eat or drink. So when these bacteria are mixed with food and drink, mostly something which contains sweets substances- plaques start forming on the teeth.

Plaque is very harmful to your teeth and usually forms if you are not doing the basic thing to maintain your teeth. They are very easily preventable if you are well aware of your oral hygiene.

In order you to avoid plaques, all you need to do is regularly brush, floss and use mouth wash. Brushing is the most important, especially at night before your go to bed.

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What Is Tartar?

Tartar is a hard, chalky substance that forms at the back of your teeth, or it can also form at the root of the tooth below the gum. Tartar is the aftermath of plaque. If you are developing plaque on your teeth yet you are not taking care of it, then eventually, it will become hard and turn into tartar.

The process of forming tartar is the same as plaque.

Bacteria and mineral mixes with saliva and plaque start forming. If the plaque is left untreated, then it turns into tartar.

However, in case of harm, tartar is more harmful compared opt plaque and more difficult to treat compared to plaque. You can easily deal with plaque simply by brushing and flossing your teeth properly.

When it comes to tartar, you need proper medical professional support for treating it. Tartar is hard, and it coats your teeth, so you need medical equipment to take it out. If you do no treat tartar, then at the initial stage, your gums will start swelling, may also start bleeding. In the worst-case, your tooth can fall off.

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Difference Between Plaque and Tartar

Here are the key differences between plaque and tartar:

1. Forming Process

The plaque will form on your teeth when the bacteria and mineral from your food mixes with saliva. It usually forms when you don’t brush your teeth after eating. Then after that, if the plaque is not brushed off of your teeth, eventually, it becomes hard and turns into tartar.

So plaque is the first process of tartar. If your treat plaque, the chances of you having tartar is very low.

2. Looks

The plaques are very clear, and the texture of sticky. So if your try to see, it might be very difficult, but if you try to feel it with your tongue, then you will feel something on your teeth.

In the case of tartar, it is yellow or brown, so there will not difficulty seeing it, and it is hard, so when you put your tongue on, it will feel rough and hard.

3. Process of Removal

Like said earlier, plaque is a very common dental problem. We face it very often, and the best part is that it is very easily removed. Properly brushing and flossing your teeth is the best solution for it. However, tartar can be very tough to remove. You will need dental equipment to remove it. For which the best advice is to see a dentist.

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How to Prevent Them

Well, mainly what your need to prevent is plaque because plaques are the initial form of tartar. So to do that, all you need to do is maintain basic oral hygiene. Don’t skip brushing. Makes sure your brush and floss your teeth twice a day. Brushing at night is very important. Try not to eat sweets at night.

Lastly, everyone in a while should go for a dental check-up to make sure everything is fine.

Difference Between Plaque and Tartar: Comparison Chart

	Plaque	Tartar
Looks and texture	Clear, soft, and sticky	Brown or yellow, hard
Place of forming	On the teeth	Coats the teeth or below the gum line
Removal process	Brushing and flossing	Needs professional support

Final Words

Surely, the article was helpful to you. Now you can tell the difference between plaque and tartar, which will help you to keep good oral health. Take care of your oral health and lead a healthy life.