How can we avoid tartar?

Hi. Is it really necessary to visit the dentist every 6 months? I had an emergency dental procedure in Emergency Dental 365, Toronto 6 months ago. Now there is a small amount of tartar. I have done scaling an year ago. Should I do it again? Will it affect my tooth enamel? Is there a time gap for doing it? Or proper brushing can fix it. My teeth is also very sensitive and I cannot use a brush that has hard bristles. So how can we avoid tartar?


It is not necessary to have regular professional cleanings- unless you want to save your teeth.

No, brushing cannot remove tartar. No, there is no danger to your enamel posed by professional cleanings. There is a danger to the gums when a hard toothbrush is used.

Nothing is majic about the 6 month interval. It is a good cleaning interval for the AVERAGE patient. Patients with gum disease should have appointments every three months. A few patients form almost no tartar and would be safe to come only once a year.

AS said 6 months is average. I have patients I've told not to come back for a year and others I could see every 2 months and they would still be a mess. If you had tartar at a 6 month visit, it wouldn't be advisable to go longer. As the other doc said, you don't have to do anything. You will live without your teeth. Twice a year cleanings is pretty small price to keep them though.