Plaque is a soft, sticky film of bacteria that forms on teeth within hours and can be removed with a toothbrush and interdental cleaning. Tartar is plaque that has hardened by taking up minerals from saliva — and once it has, no amount of brushing will shift it.
That distinction decides the whole of your oral hygiene routine: what you can fix yourself, and what needs an appointment.
Plaque
A biofilm — an organised community of bacteria in a matrix they produce themselves — that begins forming on a clean tooth surface within hours. It is normal and unavoidable. Everyone has it; the aim is to disturb it regularly, not to eliminate it.
It is soft and colourless to pale yellow, which is why it is hard to see. You can feel it as a slightly furry coating if you run your tongue over unbrushed teeth.
Left in place it does two things. Bacteria within it produce acid when fed sugar, which dissolves enamel — see how tooth decay develops. And plaque at the gum margin provokes inflammation, which is gingivitis — see gingivitis.
Plaque is entirely within your control. Brushing and interdental cleaning remove it.
Tartar
Also called calculus. When plaque is left undisturbed, minerals from saliva — calcium and phosphate — precipitate into it and it hardens. This can begin within a couple of days, and the process continues so that older deposits become progressively harder.
Tartar is firmly bonded to the tooth surface. It is yellowish or brown above the gum, and darker below it. It cannot be removed by brushing, by any toothpaste, or by any home product. It requires instruments and a dental professional.
Its significance is not the deposit itself but its surface: tartar is rough and porous, so it holds fresh plaque against the tooth and the gum permanently. It creates a place that cannot be cleaned no matter how well you brush, which is why it drives gum inflammation and why it perpetuates disease once it forms below the gum line — see periodontitis.
Where tartar forms first
Predictably, next to the openings of the major salivary glands, where mineral-rich saliva flows over the teeth:
- The inner surfaces of the lower front teeth — the commonest site by a wide margin, and one of the places people most often miss when brushing.
- The outer surfaces of the upper back molars, opposite the cheek.
If you are going to give any two areas extra attention, make it those.
Why some people get more
Tartar formation varies considerably between individuals and is not simply a measure of how well you brush. Saliva composition and flow rate matter, as does saliva pH. Crowded teeth are harder to clean; smoking increases build-up; a dry mouth changes the pattern. Some people with meticulous hygiene still form tartar quickly, and it is not a moral failing.
What it does mean is that their cleaning interval should be shorter.
What to do about each
Plaque — at home, daily
- Brush twice a day for two minutes, soft brush, angled at the gum line.
- Clean between the teeth every day. A brush reaches roughly three of the five surfaces of each tooth — see cleaning between your teeth properly.
- Pay particular attention to the two tartar-prone areas above.
- Spit, do not rinse.
Tartar — professionally
Removed with ultrasonic and hand instruments. Above the gum line this is a routine scale and polish. Below the gum line, in pockets, it requires scaling and root planing under local anaesthetic — a different procedure — see scaling and root planing explained.
How often depends on how quickly you form it and on your gum condition — see how often should you see a dentist.
About tartar-control products
Tartar-control toothpastes contain agents that slow the mineralisation of plaque. They reduce new formation to some degree; they do not remove existing tartar, and nothing sold for home use does.
Be sceptical of scrapers and removal kits marketed for home use. Instruments used against a tooth by an untrained hand damage enamel and gum, and they do not reach below the gum line where the deposits actually matter.
How to tell which you are looking at
A practical distinction, since the two look similar to most people:
Plaque is soft, pale and easily removed. If you can scrape it with a fingernail or a brush and it comes away, it is plaque. It can be made visible with disclosing tablets, which stain it bright and are one of the most useful things you can use at home — most people are startled by where they are missing.
Tartar is hard and does not move. It is yellowish or brown above the gum and darker below it, and it feels rough to the tongue. Commonly it appears as a ridge along the inner surfaces of the lower front teeth, or a band at the gum line of the upper back teeth.
Stain is a third thing frequently confused with both. It is surface discolouration from coffee, tea, wine or tobacco. It does not build up in thickness and it polishes off — and it is not itself a health problem, though it often accompanies areas that are not being cleaned well.
The recolonisation cycle, and what it means for your routine
Plaque begins re-forming on a clean tooth within hours and is well established within a day. This is why the advice is twice daily rather than occasionally — you are not eliminating it, you are keeping it disrupted.
Mineralisation into tartar can begin within a couple of days of undisturbed plaque. So the window in which you control the outcome is short and it resets constantly. A thorough clean once a week achieves far less than an adequate clean every night.
It also explains why tartar returns after a professional clean. That is not a sign the clean failed; it is the same cycle starting again, and the interval between appointments should reflect how quickly you personally form it.
Why it matters below the gum more than above it
Tartar above the gum line is mainly an appearance and roughness problem. Tartar below it is the clinically significant one, because it sits inside the pocket against the root surface, holds bacteria permanently against tissue that cannot be cleaned, and drives the inflammation that destroys bone.
You cannot see it, you cannot feel it, and no home product reaches it. It is found by probing and on radiographs, and removing it requires scaling and root planing — which is why a routine polish does not treat gum disease — see scaling and root planing explained.
Frequently asked questions
Can I remove tartar at home?
No. Once it has hardened it requires professional instruments.
How quickly does plaque turn into tartar?
Mineralisation can begin within a couple of days. Disturbing plaque daily prevents it.
Is tartar the same as stain?
No. Stain is surface discolouration from coffee, tea or tobacco and polishes off. Tartar is a hard mineral deposit.
Why do I get tartar despite brushing twice a day?
Usually because of what is missed between the teeth and on the inner surfaces of the lower front teeth — and partly because saliva composition varies between people.
Does tartar cause bad breath?
It contributes, by holding bacteria — see bad breath.
Have the hardened deposits removed
Everything you can do at home addresses plaque. Tartar needs an appointment. See our professional cleaning page.
To arrange a consultation at our clinic on Abbas El-Akkad in Nasr City, call +20 101 969 7597 or message us on WhatsApp.
