Calculus Bridge
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Medically reviewed by Edmund Khoo, DDSMedically reviewed by Edmund Khoo, DDS
Calculus, or tartar, is a hardened substance that forms on teeth. A calculus bridge occurs when this calculus stretches across multiple teeth or fills in the gaps between them. It develops because plaque—a film that naturally develops on the teeth and gums—solidifies, often due to poor dental hygiene.
Everyone is susceptible to forming plaque and calculus, but certain risk factors like smoking and family history raise your odds of developing calculus.
Calculus bridges cause visible buildups in the mouth, damaging teeth and raising the risk of gum diseases. Only dental procedures can remove a calculus bridge once it's formed. Luckily, treatments are highly effective, and there’s a lot you can do to prevent this issue.
Symptoms
Calculus is a visible deposit on a tooth. Over time, calculus deposits can spread to other teeth and the spaces between them, forming calculus bridges. These formations can also come with additional side effects.
Calculus Symptoms
Calculus buildup typically forms in areas hard to reach with a toothbrush and clean, such as surfaces in between teeth or at or below the gum line. These clay-like buildups range in color from white or light yellow to dark brown or black. Tartar tends to be lighter in earlier stages, darkening the longer it remains.
Advanced Symptoms
Without treatment, calculus continues to build and advance. This can develop into a calculus bridge—deposits that stretch across multiple teeth, filling the spaces separating them. They typically form close to the gum line and can spread below it. The bridges are often darker-colored tan, brown, or black.
Side Effects
If you have a calculus bridge, you may experience symptoms in addition to a change in the appearance of your teeth. Halitosis (chronic bad breath) is a common symptom. Having calculus can also lead to gingivitis (gum disease). This causes inflamed or bleeding gums.
What Causes a Calculus Bridge?
Naturally occurring bacteria in your mouth consume sugars and carbohydrates from food and drink. Eventually, the bacteria form plaque, a pale yellow or transparent biofilm. Calculus occurs when plaque hardens and calcifies to form hard deposits. These deposits consist of calcium, bacteria, and organic matter from the mouth.
Saliva also contains several minerals, like calcium and phosphate, that can contribute to calculus formation. For this reason, teeth located near salivary ducts, such as the backside of the lower front teeth, are at a higher risk for calculus formation.
Brushing, flossing, and good oral hygiene can remove plaque but not calculus. If you don't remove plaque, it takes 1-14 to harden. Poor or inadequate oral hygiene, like not brushing your teeth daily, allows plaque to harden and form calculus. As calculus deposits continue to form, they will eventually connect into bridges between and across the teeth.
Risk Factors
Certain people have a higher risk of calculus formation and more severe dental issues. Risk factors for the condition include:
Alcohol use
Medications that cause dry mouth, such as certain antihistamines, antidepressants, and diuretics, among others
Diabetes (an inability to process or digest sugars)
Pregnancy
Age over 65
Family history of calculus or gum disease
Diagnosis
To treat calculus and prevent complications, you’ll first need a dentist to diagnose the condition. A dentist will take your medical history and perform the following diagnostic tests:
Dental exam: The dentist assesses the scale and scope of calculus above and just below the gum line. Applications of compressed air can also make deposits more visible.
Probing exam: Dentists use special tools, such as probes or a five-pointed explorer, to measure pockets (the space between gum and tooth) and probe them for signs of subgingival (below the gumline) calculus buildups.
Dental X-ray: X-rays of your mouth and teeth help dentists screen for and assess calculus buildup between teeth and at the bases of pockets. This can also assess any damage to teeth or underlying bone.
Treatment for Calculus Bridge
When treating calculus bridges, the primary goal is to remove the calculus from the teeth, both above and below the gumline. Treatments include:
Scaling: Scaling, or debridement, is a part of standard dental cleaning. Dentists use specialized tools to scrape or remove plaque and calculus deposits from teeth. This works for supragingival deposits, which are deposits above the gum line on the crown of the tooth.
Polishing: Once dentists remove the calculus, they thoroughly clean and polish your teeth, preventing bacterial buildup. Polishing also improves the appearance of your smile, smoothing out rough surfaces.
Root planing: Root planing removes tartar buildup below the gumline, or subgingival calculus. The dentist numbs your gums and uses tools to reach deposits deep below the gums and at the roots of the teeth.
Only a board-certified dental professional in a dentist’s office should perform calculus removal. Attempting to use tools to remove it on your own is dangerous. Only dentists can reach certain parts of the teeth and prevent injury.
After the dentist removes the calculus bridge, your teeth may feel more sensitive to cold and heat for a few days. This is because the calculus covering your teeth acts as a barrier against heat and cold, reducing your sensitivity.
Prevention
Calculus bridge prevention involves adopting healthy oral hygiene habits to remove plaque and prevent bacterial buildup. Here’s what you can do to protect your teeth:
Proper brushing: Brush at least twice a day, for at least two minutes: 30 seconds each for the outside and inside surfaces of your upper and lower teeth. Clean the gumline and angle the brush at 45 degrees. Every 2-3 months, change out your toothbrush or brush head for electric models.
Flossing: Floss daily to remove food and plaque from the spaces in between your teeth. Some people prefer using a pre-threaded flosser or water-flossing device.
Lifestyle changes: If you smoke or use smokeless tobacco, quitting can help improve the health of your teeth and gums.
Dietary choices: Eat a well-balanced diet, rich in nutrients from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein sources. Stay hydrated and limit or avoid sugary snacks, sticky foods, hard candies, or other foods that can damage teeth.
Regular check-ups: Visit your dentist for in-office cleanings at least once or twice a year. If you have periodontal disease—gum infection often associated with calculus—you may need more frequent cleaning and monitoring.
Complications
Untreated calculus bridges can have serious effects on dental health. Complications of this condition include:
Gum disease: Bacteria in calculus can infect the gums, causing inflammation and bleeding. Gingivitis, an earlier-stage gum disease, can progress to periodontitis, an advanced gum infection. The latter can loosen and damage teeth and underlying jawbone, leading to tooth loss and gum recession.
Halitosis: Chronic bad breath is a common complication of calculus and often a feature of gum disease.
Cavities: The bacteria in plaque or calculus emit acids as they feed on sugars. These acids damage and wear away tooth enamel (the hard outside shell), leading to tooth decay and cavities.
Gum recession: Bacteria from calculus and infection can spread to the tissue connecting teeth and gums. This can lead to bone and gum tissue loss, which can expose the roots of the teeth.
Tooth loss: Over time, gum recession and tooth decay can cause teeth to become loose. Without treatment, there’s a significant risk of tooth loss.
A Quick Review
A calculus bridge is a buildup of calculus, or tartar, that spans multiple teeth, filling in the spaces in between. This hard substance arises when you don't remove plaque, a bacterial biofilm, from your teeth. Along with poor oral hygiene, smoking, alcohol, taking certain medications, and chronic conditions like diabetes increase your risk.
While brushing and flossing can remove plaque, only dental treatments can remove calculus. To remove calculus, a dentist will use tools to physically scrape off buildups and thoroughly clean affected areas. Without treatment, a calculus bridge can cause serious dental issues, such as periodontitis, cavities, gum recession, and tooth loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I remove calculus myself?
Flossing and brushing won’t remove dental calculus; only a dentist can remove calculus deposits by scraping them off with tools. Do not attempt to use tools to remove calculus on your own, as this can lead to injury. A dentist can properly and safely remove calculus, and reach all the needed surfaces.
Do you have to go to the dentist if you have tartar on your teeth?
If you see tartar on your teeth, a dental cleaning will be the only way to remove it. Don't let tartar remain or buildup further as this can lead to gum infection and bad breath. Without treatment to remove tartar, you can eventually develop cavities, underlying bone damage, gum recession, and tooth loss.
Do gums grow back after tartar removal?
Tartar removal will stop gum recession from continuing. However, if you’ve lost gum tissue, it can’t grow back. Treating tartar and any associated periodontitis (gum disease), tooth loss, or other issues, will still help protect the remaining gum tissue, teeth, and underlying bone.
If you see tartar buildup, call your dental provider.
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