Tartar is the everyday name for plaque that has hardened onto a tooth.

In kid words

"Tartar is what plaque turns into if it sits on a tooth too long, the same way syrup left out on a plate turns sticky and hard to wash off." Once it gets like that, your own toothbrush can't budge it anymore. That's a job for your hygienist and her special tools.

The parent version

Tartar is the common, everyday name for what dentists more often call calculus: plaque that has stayed on a tooth long enough to harden in place. Soft plaque forms daily and is exactly what home brushing and flossing are meant to interrupt. Once minerals in saliva harden it, it becomes tartar, and no amount of brushing at home will lift it back off.

Forming tartar isn't a sign of anything gone wrong. Some children collect it faster than others, and that pace is simply worth mentioning at your child's next visit. Ask your pediatric dentist what pace is typical for your own child.

Where you might hear it at our office

Tartar is exactly what a hygienist is trained to clear away during a routine cleaning and exam, using tools built for a job a toothbrush was never meant to do. Regular visits keep it from building up into something more noticeable between cleanings.

If another word from a visit needs explaining, the rest of the Kids' Dental Dictionary is right here.

Related words

Words that often come up alongside tartar: calculus, plaque, cleaning.