PMID- 9395117

OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19980113
LR - 20240109
IS - 0909-8836 (Print)
IS - 0909-8836 (Linking)
VI - 105
IP - 5 Pt 2
DP - 1997 Oct
TI - Dental calculus: recent insights into occurrence, formation, prevention,
removal
and oral health effects of supragingival and subgingival deposits.
PG - 508-22
AB - Dental calculus, both supra- and subgingival occurs in the majority of adults

worldwide. Dental calculus is calcified dental plaque, composed primarily of

calcium phosphate mineral salts deposited between and within remnants of
formerly
viable microorganisms. A viable dental plaque covers mineralized calculus
deposits. Levels of calculus and location of formation are population
specific
and are affected by oral hygiene habits, access to professional care, diet,
age,
ethnic origin, time since last dental cleaning, systemic disease and the use
of
prescription medications. In populations that practice regular oral hygiene
and
with access to regular professional care, supragingival dental calculus
formation
is restricted to tooth surfaces adjacent to the salivary ducts. Levels of
supragingival calculus in these populations is minor and the calculus has
little
if any impact on oral-health. Subgingival calculus formation in these
populations
occurs coincident with periodontal disease (although the calculus itself
appears
to have little impact on attachment loss), the latter being correlated with
dental plaque. In populations that do not practice regular hygiene and that
do
not have access to professional care, supragingival calculus occurs
throughout
the dentition and the extent of calculus formation can be extreme. In these
populations, supragingival calculus is associated with the promotion of
gingival
recession. Subgingival calculus, in "low hygiene" populations, is extensive
and
is directly correlated with enhanced periodontal attachment loss. Despite
extensive research, a complete understanding of the etiologic significance of

subgingival calculus to periodontal disease remains elusive, due to inability

to
clearly differentiate effects of calculus versus "plaque on calculus". As a
result, we are not entirely sure whether subgingival calculus is the cause or

result of periodontal inflammation. Research suggests that subgingival

calculus,
at a minimum, may expand the radius of plaque induced periodontal injury.
Removal
 of subgingival plaque and calculus remains the cornerstone of periodontal
therapy. Calculus formation is the result of petrification of dental plaque
biofilm, with mineral ions provided by bathing saliva or crevicular fluids.
Supragingival calculus formation can be controlled by chemical mineralization

inhibitors, applied in toothpastes or mouthrinses. These agents act to delay

plaque calcification, keeping deposits in an amorphous non-hardened state to
facilitate removal with regular hygiene. Clinical efficacy for these agents
is
typically assessed as the reduction in tartar area coverage on the teeth
between
dental cleaning. Research shows that topically applied mineralization
inhibitors
can also influence adhesion and hardness of calculus deposits on the tooth
surface, facilitating removal. Future research in calculus may include the
development of improved supragingival tartar control formulations, the
development of treatments for the prevention of subgingival calculus
formation,
the development of improved methods for root detoxification and debridement
and
the development and application of sensitive diagnostic methods to assess
subgingival debridement efficacy.
FAU - White, D J
AU - White DJ
AD - The Procter and Gamble Company, Health Care Research Center, Mason, OH
45040-9462, USA. White.DJ.1@PG.com
LA - eng
PT - Journal Article
PT - Review
PL - England
TA - Eur J Oral Sci
JT - European journal of oral sciences
JID - 9504563
RN - 0 (Calcium Phosphates)
RN - 0 (alpha-tricalcium phosphate)
RN - 0 (tetracalcium phosphate)
RN - 701EKV9RMN (calcium phosphate, monobasic, anhydrous)
RN - 97Z1WI3NDX (calcium phosphate)
RN - L11K75P92J (calcium phosphate, dibasic, anhydrous)
SB - IM
MH - Adult
MH - Age Factors
MH - Bacterial Physiological Phenomena
MH - Biofilms
MH - Calcium Phosphates/analysis
MH - *Dental Calculus/chemistry/etiology/prevention & control/therapy
MH - Dental Care
MH - Dental Plaque/chemistry/microbiology
MH - Dental Prophylaxis
MH - Diet
MH - Disease
MH - Ethnicity
MH - Gingiva
MH - Gingival Crevicular Fluid/physiology
MH - Gingival Recession/etiology
MH - Health Services Accessibility
MH - Humans
MH - Oral Health
MH - Oral Hygiene
MH - Periodontal Attachment Loss/etiology
MH - Periodontitis/etiology
MH - Polypharmacy
MH - Saliva/physiology
MH - Subgingival Curettage
RF - 219
EDAT- 1997/12/12 00:00
MHDA- 1997/12/12 00:01
CRDT- 1997/12/12 00:00
PHST- 1997/12/12 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1997/12/12 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1997/12/12 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1111/j.1600-0722.1997.tb00238.x [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO - Eur J Oral Sci. 1997 Oct;105(5 Pt 2):508-22. doi:
10.1111/j.1600-0722.1997.tb00238.x.