This 70-year-old patient NEVER brushed teeth in his life!!
He came to clinic for teeth pain due to periodontitis. The examination revealed existence of deposits on the teeth, known as calculus. In dentistry, calculus or tartar is a form of hardened dental plaque. It is caused by precipitation of minerals from saliva and gingival crevicular fluid in plaque on the teeth. This process of precipitation kills the bacterial cells within dental plaque, but the rough and hardened surface that is formed provides an ideal surface for further plaque formation. This leads to calculus buildup, which compromises the health of the gingiva (gums). Calculus can form both along the gumline, where it is referred to as supragingival, and within the narrow sulcus that exists between the teeth and the gingiva, where it is referred to as subgingival. Calculus formation is associated with a number of clinical manifestations, including bad breath, receding gums and chronically inflamed gingiva. Brushing and flossing can remove plaque from which calculus forms; however, once formed, it is too hard to be removed with a toothbrush. Therapy included removal of deposits and multiple tooth extraction with dental prosthesis implantation. Photo by @dr_stanic
This guy must have amazing genes. He still has teeth at 70!
