Measured diagram
Why does tartar build up behind the lower front teeth?
Tartar above the gum forms most on the tongue side of the lower front teeth, next to where saliva enters the mouth, and always carries live plaque. Brushing removes plaque; tartar comes off at a cleaning.
What the drawing is measured from
- Where tartar forms: in 40 patients, tartar above the gum was by far highest on the tongue side of the lower front teeth; across 627 people, the lateral incisors carried about 70% and the canines about 45% of the central incisors' amount (Macpherson 1995). DOI 1
- Two kinds of tartar: above the gum it is yellow-white, layered and about 37% mineral by volume; below the gum it is dark brown, uniform and about 58% mineral, usually a thin, smooth veneer on the root (Friskopp and Isacsson 1984; Woelfel; Gurgan and Bilgin 2005). DOI 2
- Tartar always carries plaque: a living film of plaque covers mineralised tartar deposits, above and below the gum. DOI 3
- Healthy gum anatomy: the gum edge sits about 1 mm above the enamel's edge and healthy gums probe 1 to 3 mm (Woelfel's Dental Anatomy). Under a groove about 0.7 mm deep lie about 1 mm of attaching epithelium and 1 mm of fibres above the bone, Gargiulo's autopsy means, which vary from person to person. DOI 4
- The tooth: a lower central incisor in section, crown 9.5 mm and root 12.5 mm (Wheeler's Dental Anatomy, Table 7.1), with the lip side on the left. Pockets and openings are drawn slightly open so they can be seen; no number on the drawing is a measurement of one person.
Use this diagram
Free to use, including commercially, with credit.
This diagram is published under CC BY 4.0. You may reproduce it in articles, teaching material, presentations and patient information, print or online, without asking. The one condition is that you credit Dr. Khalid Aletaibi and link back to this page.
It is published this way on purpose. The measurement in this drawing is not something the people selling the treatment tend to publish, so it is more useful spread than kept.
Credit line
Where plaque, tartar and stain sit. Dr. Khalid Aletaibi, CC BY 4.0. https://khalidaletaibi.com/en/diagrams/dental-cleaning-deposits
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Where plaque, tartar and stain sit. <a href="https://khalidaletaibi.com/en/diagrams/dental-cleaning-deposits">Dr. Khalid Aletaibi</a>,
<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a>
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