Tartar Breaking Off Teeth - Can You Stop It or Is it a Chipped Tooth? (2024)

FAQs

Tartar Breaking Off Teeth - Can You Stop It or Is it a Chipped Tooth? ›

It is not possible to remove tartar from teeth without a dentist. Tartar chipping off will leave a sharp spot behind on the tooth inside your mouth. You may think that breaking off the leftover calculus-tartar by yourself is a good option, but it can seriously damage gum tissues and teeth.

One can confirm its tartar by examining the broken piece. Tartar will be brown, dull yellow, and, sometimes, black in color. Moreover, it easily crumbles under pressure. Conversely, tooth enamel is strong enough that it does not break into pieces when we apply slight force.

With a chip, some enamel breaks off. A cracked, or fractured, tooth involves a break that runs through your tooth. Both conditions may be harmless or serious enough to require dental work. You'll need to see a dental provider to know for sure.

When plaque is left untreated, it hardens and discolors, forming into tartar. Tartar is terrible for the teeth and gums. It is not only unsightly, but leads to the decay of teeth by building up and growing bacteria which eat away at the lining of the teeth known as enamel.

Consuming acidic foods and beverages, such as citrus fruits, soda, and wine, gradually erode the enamel, making the teeth more susceptible to breaking. Certain medical conditions, such as acid reflux or bulimia, also cause acid erosion by exposing the teeth to stomach acids during regurgitation.

Aggressive brushing with a hard bristle toothbrush can also cause tartar to dislodge from your teeth. Additionally, tartar can become so heavy that it breaks off on its own due to a lack of support. So, it's essential to maintain good oral hygiene to prevent tartar buildup and avoid any such discomfort.

Here's What To Do If Tartar is Breaking off Your Teeth

When tartar breaks, it leaves behind a hollow area with sharp edges surrounding it. This can damage your gums and tongue if you're not careful, which is why it is important to visit a dentist as soon as you notice tartar breaking off your teeth.

Always play it safe

Although it may appear to you that just a tiny piece of tooth has been lost; with closer examination, it is possible that more of the enamel may have cracked with it. If left untreated, this could allow bacteria to enter the tooth through the cracked enamel and lead to infection and decay.

Dentists generally recommend having a cracked tooth repaired as soon as conveniently possible, and it may become an emergency situation if the symptoms worsen or lead to other complications.

To help healing, rinse your mouth with warm salt water right after meals. To make a saltwater solution, mix 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of salt in 1 cup (250 mL) of warm water. Eat soft foods that are easy to chew. Avoid foods that might sting, such as salty or spicy foods, citrus fruits, and tomatoes.

What kills tartar on teeth? ›

Baking soda can prevent and treat tartar buildup on your teeth. Also called sodium bicarbonate, it helps by softening tartar. It also balances the acids in your mouth that create plaque and stop it from turning into tartar. As it is mildly abrasive, it's an effective option to scrub away stains and whiten your teeth.

Once that buildup is removed, in comparison, your teeth feel loose. But that doesn't make them likely to fall out! In spite of that increased feeling of looseness, removing the plaque and tartar buildup helps your gums and roots to reattach to your teeth, creating better oral health for you!

Can I Remove Tartar Myself? Unfortunately, once plaque hardens into tartar, it is not likely a toothbrush and floss will remove it. Scraping tarter off your own with other tools is not a good idea. Because these tools require special training to use properly, you could do more harm than good to your smile.

So, if your teeth are prone to breaking, it might be due to one of the following causes. Grinding and Clenching Teeth: These habits wear away dental enamel. Poor Oral Care: Decay, cavities, lack of pulp – all can result in brittle teeth due to: Inadequate brushing, which eventually destroys the tooth pulp.

Chipping can occur when teeth are subjected to the force of biting on hard objects like ice, popcorn kernels, or non-food items, like packaging. Over time, the stress from biting or chewing these tough objects can weaken the tooth enamel, leading to small chips or fractures.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Oral Health

Because our teeth are made of bones, it is logical that the amount of vitamin D one consumes is important for their oral health. Lack of vitamin D can lead to dental caries, and weak or brittle teeth that easily break, chip, and crack.

If you see brown, dull yellow, or partly black area, it is most likely tartar. Moreover, apply pressure to the piece. If it breaks up, then you have tartar in your hand. They tend to break under mild pressure, whereas tooth enamel takes a lot of force to break.

A chipped tooth isn't always obvious. You might see that a piece of your tooth has broken off, but sometimes damage can be minor or less visible and may only be confirmed by a dental examination. Signs that you might have chipped a tooth include: tooth surface feeling jagged or uneven.

It is possible to chip your tooth without knowing. A chip is usually more superficial than a crack. A chip may only involve the enamel or may extend into the dentine. A chipped tooth doesn't necessarily have symptoms unless the chip is big enough to expose the nerves in the inner layer of your tooth.

If the tooth is dead, it will often get darker in color, and a person may notice a yellow, gray, or black discoloration. A change in color usually occurs because the red blood cells are dying. This is a very similar effect to bruising.