Calculus (Tartar)

Dental calculus represents the first fossilized record of bacterial communities as a testimony of evolutionary biology. The development of dental calculus is a dynamic process that starts with a non-mineralized biofilm which eventually calcifies. 1 Calculus is derived from Greek words Calcis or lime stone, the white encrustation inside casks and also called as Tartar, Odontolithiasis and Fossilized plaque. Calculus is defined as a "Hard deposit that is formed by mineralization of dental plaque on the surfaces of natural teeth and dental prosthesis, generally covered by a layer of mineralized plaque". Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of supporting periodontal tissues of tooth which is caused by specific microorganisms in a susceptible host. Bacterial plaque and calculus are considered as main etiologic agents in the initiation and progression of periodontal diseases.