Dentistry >>>> What is odontolith?

What is odontolith?

Deposits on the surfaces of the tooth, which have a hard consistency and rigid structure, are old dental plaque, strengthened by mineral deposits, and are called "odontolith". The composition of calculus depends on several factors:

The composition of saliva, which is determined by metabolic processes in the body,
The presence of a certain microflora in the oral cavity,
The quality of cleaning teeth after eating,
The presence of certain diseases that change the acidity of saliva and its composition.

The reasons for odontolith formation are quite simple. As a rule, odontolith is formed from microparticles of substances supplied with food or drugs, from the waste products of oral microorganisms, many of which form the so-called matrix, which serve as the basis for inorganic deposits (crystallizing compounds of calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium, potassium, fluorine) and organic deposits (desquamated epithelium, dead leukocytes).

Odontolith is based on mineral compounds, which give it peculiar physical properties that do not allow odontolith to be washed off with saliva or brushed off with a toothbrush. Removing odontolith manually requires some effort and a special dental instrument - an excavator, a trowel or mechanisms - a drill, an ultrasonic generator and others.

Odontolith covers all sedentary structures in the oral cavity: teeth, plastic dentures, metal-ceramic structures, nylon dentures. Any micro-roughness, micro-cracks, anatomical and artificially created ledges, incorrectly positioned crown parts of the teeth, which create niches for the placement of dental calculus, contribute to the retention of calculus on surfaces. The exception is carefully polished structures (as a rule, all-metal), which do not have microscopic roughness, gaps and similar elements that contribute to the retention of odontolith.

Most often, odontolith is located in the supragingival surface of the teeth, but it sometimes happens that the subgingival surface of the tooth is also the location of the odontolith. This location of odontolith can be triggered by trauma to the gingival margin or by a disease of the mucous membrane, as a result of which the edge of the gum moves away from the tooth and a gum pocket is formed, into which stone-forming elements are clogged. Such odontolith is not noticeable during a cursory examination of the dentition, but is revealed during a thorough examination of the condition of the teeth and mucous membranes by the dentist.

As a rule, the prevention of odontolith formation does not give special results, because the tendency to its formation may be associated with the peculiarities of metabolic processes in the body (including those inherited). But this does not negate the conditions for regular tooth brushing, as one of the ways to reduce the rate of odontolith formation. And periodic visits to the dentist to clean odontolith in all possible ways, polishing the teeth will prevent its gradual thickening, merging with neighboring odontolith formations, will not lead to a sloppy appearance of the teeth during a smile and will not create prerequisites for the development of carious cavities, the retention of food particles with subsequent decay and, as a result, an unpleasant odor from the oral cavity.