Why can't I keep my teeth clean? Where am I going wrong?

[Prosopon]

I see a hygienist every six months and last had an appointment in October. I brush my teeth twice a day and am very thorough, brushing them using the technique shown to me by my hygienist. Usually I will use a manual toothbrush in the morning and my electric one in the evening, unless my gums are sore, in which case I use the manual one again in the evening (I have very thin, fragile gums and they are easily irritated). I also floss and use TePe brushes daily. And I have a small, "one-bristle" toothbrush for the upper side teeth because my mouth is very small and it is hard for me to fit a regular toothbrush up there. I care deeply about the health of my teeth and am obsessive about keeping them clean. I should also mention that I do not drink alcohol, coffee or tea and I do not smoke.

However, I had an orthodontic assessment today and they took photos of my teeth and commented that I have a lot of calculus and staining. Why is this? What more could I possibly do to prevent this? I feel like I am doing absolutely everything I can. I am so upset and what is worse is that the pictures they took of my teeth were put up on a big screen. It was absolutely awful to see every little flaw in my teeth magnified to such an extent. They looked horrible and stained. I do not understand it. Please could someone advise me on this? How can I prevent the build-up of calculus? Should I brush my teeth more often?

 

[ScaredyCat22]

some people are just more prone to build up of tarter than others. you could try brushing 3 times a day instead of 2, maybe with a tarter control tooth paste and using a tarter control mouthwash, but you just may be prone to build up.

 

[Prosopon]

Thank you for the response.

 

[rob wain]

scaredy cat is right, some people have a lot of minerals in their saliva and this means that they get a lot of calculus buildup.
What really matters is the plaque and your cleaning regime sounds very good, well done.
You should see the hygienist regularly to remove the calculus (because it is rough and traps plaque) and you could ask the hygienist to measure your plaque score - this is a measurement of how effective your brushing is - you should aim for less than 10%
also ask the hygienist to check that your manual brushing technique won't make your thin gums recede further