Homemade dental scaling: guide and comparison

Tartar is a danger for the teeth it colonizes. A cosy nest for bacteria, it must be regularly eradicated by the dentist. However, in between descaling, you can take action to prevent it from forming.

Nutrident guides you on the solution to adopt, neither too soft, nor too hard, so that it is effective, without taking the risk of damaging your teeth. Here is our opinion on dental scalers.

Descaling at home

Health insurance allows you to have two scaling sessions per year at the dentist. In between these sessions, you can use – always in moderation – grandmother's recipes which are unfortunately quite unpleasant. Sodium bicarbonate mentioned above, powdered black charcoal on the same principle, or the mouthwash based on white vinegar and lemon juice.

There are now commercially available scaling kits that are based on the tools of the professional dentist. They are safe for your teeth, but also safe to handle. When you intervene yourself, your action is not always assured, especially the first times. With these kits, even if you make a mistake, you won't get hurt, and you'll help reinforce good oral hygiene.

Nutrident.fr has selected for you the three most advanced and effective home descaling devices. We have provided our opinion for each of the three dental scalers.

Where can I find the best price for an ultrasonic dental scaler? We also highlight links to the products in question.

For each appliance, once you have finished your session, brush or spray your teeth to remove any small particles of tartar that have been loosened.

1 – The HOKIN manual polisher

The manual polisher is the cheapest and simplest tool. The HOKIN polisher is sold in a kit containing 4 tools including a dental mirror that resemble in every way those used by dentists.

It is easy to hold, does not slip and fits well in dental spaces.

Safe to use at home, this device removes freshly formed tartar. However, you should not wait until large plaques have formed.

2 – Descaling Kit DDKJ

The DDKJ Scaler is truly a dentist's tool. Its handle is comparable to that of an electric toothbrush, with a stainless steel tip instead of a brush. The tip is not too sharp, so that you don't risk injury.

DDKJ is a battery operated tool so you don't have to worry about the cord. It is totally waterproof. When you're done with your session, just rinse it under water.

The handle is non-slip to ensure a good grip and its turquoise color brings a little freshness to your bathroom.

Designed on the same principle as the dentist's scaler, you must position the tip on the spot to be cleaned and choose between its 5 vibration speeds. Tartar that has been abused in this way quickly falls off. You can see the effects immediately with the stains disappearing and your teeth becoming smooth again.

Having a choice of 5 speeds allows you to adjust the vibrations according to the extent of the tartar plaque formed and its location in the mouth. The curved tip allows you to access all parts of the teeth.

The price of this product remains largely affordable compared to the services it provides.

3 – Pcakic Scaling Kit

Breet works on the same principle as Pcakic, but with more sophisticated features and additional accessories, for a very reasonable price.

You have two interchangeable heads. In addition to the stainless steel head to remove tartar, the soft silicone head acts as a polisher. You really feel your teeth all smooth.

Pcakic offers three vibration speeds and is equipped with an LED light and a small camera that will make your work easier. You have excellent visibility, especially when working on the bottom tines.

It runs on a USB rechargeable battery and is waterproof.

Frequently Asked Questions: About Home Tooth Scaling

Where does the tartar that settles on our teeth come from?

The saliva that permanently bathes the mouth naturally contains limestone in quantities that differ from one individual to another. In addition, bacteria, food debris and various minerals form plaque. This slightly sticky film can be cleaned by simply brushing your teeth. However, when plaque has settled on the teeth, it means that it has turned into tartar that toothpaste can no longer remove.

That's why it's so important to brush your teeth after every meal. By removing food debris and plaque that has already formed, you reduce the substance that will calcify and adhere to the teeth to form tartar, thus strengthening your oral hygiene.

However, you can't remove all the plaque. It is necessary to count with the parts more difficult to reach, but also the internal face of the teeth, in particular the lower incisors which are constantly in contact with saliva. Finally, some people are less fortunate than others and have saliva that is more likely to promote the formation of plaque and tartar.

Why do we need to fight tartar?

When you leave the dentist after a scaling, if you run your tongue over your teeth, you can appreciate a perfectly smooth surface. Each tooth is different from the other, with a gap that is more or less important depending on the location of your teeth.

When tartar settles on the teeth, it agglomerates in patches that block these gaps. The surface of your teeth is no longer smooth, but slightly rough. Tartar is a porous surface that becomes a nest for bacteria and fungi such as Candida Albicans that will attack the enamel on the surface of your teeth and create cavities that become cavities.

On the other hand, tartar is found at the base of the visible part of the tooth, at the joint with the gum. As it grows, the gums become irritated. The resulting inflammation destroys the bond between the tooth and the gums. The latter retract, leaving more room for bacteria. Teeth begin to move and then loosen if you let tartar invade your mouth.

The worst consequence is to cause periodontitis that will ravage your entire dentition.

Another major disadvantage of tartar is that it retains all the dyes you find in food and beverages, as well as in cigarettes. Your teeth become yellow, then brown. In addition, there is halitosis (bad breath) triggered by tartar build-up, which is also equivalent to a build-up of bacteria. Apart from visits to the dentist (2 times a year), we recommend the home dental care kits that can be seen on top between visits.

How to avoid tartar formation?

To begin with, as always when it comes to oral health, you must have impeccable dental hygiene. Teeth should be cleaned after each meal, with a manual brush or better, with an electric brush which is much more efficient. It can get into the most inaccessible places, with an always regular movement, which is not always possible with the hand.

Add to brushing the dental jet that removes plaque, interdental brushes, and flossing, especially for people with very tight teeth that do not allow the bristles of the toothbrush to pass.

See our review of the best anti-tartar devices in the upper part of this article.

Even so, you'll have a hard time escaping tartar build-up between cleanings at the dentist.

Methods not to be used

Never forget that your teeth are living organisms that you must take care of. Never brush them with a hard brush, or worse, with a steel scraper.

Beware of toothpastes that claim to fight tartar. Some are far too corrosive and will eventually damage your enamel. The effect in this case is catastrophic, as worn enamel leaves the tooth surface unprotected and porous. It becomes a privileged target for bacteria, in addition to being painful.

You can use some quality anti-scale toothpastes, but never overuse them.

The same goes for the most well-known recipe against tartar: sodium bicarbonate or baking soda. Simply place a small amount of baking soda on your toothbrush to use its abrasive capabilities to scrape the surface of the tooth. It's very effective, but you need to space out the uses so as not to damage your enamel. Never use the baking soda method more than once a week.

Conclusion

As you can see, the tools for fighting tartar and descaling your teeth are accessible and easy to use. However, please note that their use does not replace the annual visit to the dentist, you should always make an appointment for a check-up of your entire mouth.

If you wait until it hurts, it means that the cavity or other problem is already at an advanced stage.