I believe that we all don’t like to work with people who have bad breath. Because of bad breath, we missed job opportunities and important appointments; and even our friends are keeping away from us. In fact I brush my teeth every day. Why do I still have bad breath? Let's take a look.

Dental calculus - ugly and weird substance coming into the mouth without invitation, and not to leave voluntarily. It damages the healthy biology of oral cavity.

1. How is the calculus formed?

Oral bacteria + salivary glycoprotein - membrane forming on tooth surface - bacteria deposit - plaque + food residue - mineralized core - salivary calcium and phosphate inorganic salt - sedimentation - enlarged mineralized core - remineralization - dental calculus formed

The formation of calculus is composed of three stages:

(1) First stage: Our mouth is not sterile, instead countless bacteria exist in it. When we eat, the food residue caught between the teeth will form plaque (the immature state of calculus) after 5 minutes. Moreover, plaque adhering to the tooth surface can’t be easily washed away. It becomes fertile soil for more bacteria. In general, plaque will be thickened rapidly in 1-2h and well-developed within 10 days. Therefore, we must remove plaque within 12h with toothbrush and dental floss;

(2) Second stage: Once the bacteria have fertile soil, they will call friends to settle down. At this time, if you do not pay attention to oral hygiene and not remove food residue in time, the plaque and food residue will be calcified by the saliva in 24 hours, forming the initial calculus;

(3) Third stage: However, calculus is not static. The initial calculus will become thicker and thicker, harder and harder after deposition and get mineralization. By then even the toothbrush can not move it, but only medical instruments can remove it.

2. The “odor" of dental calculus

As mentioned above, dental calculus is made up of long-term deposit, or say the concentrated essence of food residue + bacteria + saliva, just like a small garbage dump in the mouth. Do you believe it is not stinky? The specific compositions of calculus are inorganic salt, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, protein-polysaccharide complex, and the like. This accumulated substance can damage the gingival papilla and periodontal tissues, causing acute or chronic periodontitis. It will be decomposed to an enzyme after long-time corrosion and fermentation, producing carbon dioxide gas that will form a special odor mixed with the exhaled gas from the mouth. In conclusion, the calculus is not only stinky, but also causes periodontal disease, bad breath and so on.

3. How to remove calculus

(1) If you only need to reduce the calculus, you can brush teeth regularly and use floss, which will reduce the formation of plaque from the source;

(2) If there are much calculus formed, you must go to the dentist for teeth washing. Dental cleaning is very helpful for the maintenance of oral hygiene.

Through dental cleaning, you can not only remove the calculus, but also get to know your own dental health condition, such as whether there are cavities, wisdom teeth. Besides, after cleaning, your breath will become fresh, and your gums will stop bleeding and become much healthier than ever.