A Comprehensive Review on Dental Calculus

Abstract

ABSTRACT Dental calculus is a hard deposit that is formed by calcification of dental plaque primarily composed of calcium phosphate mineral salts which is deposited on natural teeth and restorations and is covered by a layer of unmineralized plaque. These hard deposits may form coronal to or apical to the gingival margin, hence named accordingly as supragingival and subgingival calculus respectively. The distribution of calculus is very versatile and it differs from individual to individual, from tooth to tooth, and from surface to surface. So, a thorough knowledge on prevalence of calculus is important for the clinician in outlining the treatment plan. It is a well-known fact that calculus is itself not an inducing agent for pathological changes that occur in gingival tissues; instead it is covered by a layer of unmineralized plaque which is proven to be the key etiological agent involved in these pathogenic mechanisms. But, attributing to the porosity of calculus and its ability to retain bacterial antigens makes it an important contributing factor in initiating and accentuating periodontal disease progression. In this review, we made an attempt to discuss various aspects of calculus composition, its formation, and its etiological significance in periodontal disease progression. How to cite this article Aghanashini S, Puvvalla B, Mundinamane DB, Apoorva SM, Bhat D, Lalwani M. A Comprehensive Review on Dental Calculus. J Health Sci Res 2016;7(2):42-50.