Calcium deposits can affect anywhere on your body. And when it does, you will see its unsightly symptoms appear on your teeth, face, around the eyes, and you can even feel it in your tendons. They aren’t pleasant, obviously. But they’re curable and preventable if you know how it works and how to get rid of calcium deposits on those parts of the body.
So, let’s take a look at our today’s article to know everything about health problems related to calcium deposits.
What Are Calcium Deposits?
99% of the calcium intake in your body is distributed to your bones and teeth, only 1% left of which is for the bloodstream to share with the muscles, other body tissues, and fluid outside the cells. Sometimes, the calcium distributed is unabsorbed. Consequently, with time these deposits pile up in the soft tissues, and that’s how you’ll have calcium deposits.
Where Can Calcium Deposits Occur?
Because the bloodstream carries calcium throughout your whole body, it gives these dangerous accumulations of calcium a lift, as well. That’s why calcium deposits can occur in almost any part of the body – from your face to your internal organs and can hinder their normal functions once the buildups are hardened.
The face, around the eyes, teeth, and tendon are what we’re going to look into today, from the effects of calcium deposits to how to get rid of calcium deposits on these parts.
Face
This unattractive type of calcium deposit is scientifically called Calcinosis Cutis. As defined in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology, a lesion appearing on your face is called Calcinosis Cutis when it is white, visible on the skin’s surface, and is the deposits of hardened calcium. These calcium buildups can become even more troublesome if they’re developed beneath the skin’s surface.
Around the Eyes
Calcium deposits, as stated, are hardened crystalline development of unabsorbed calcium in the body. They can occur anywhere, both externally and internally, on your body. And if they already can grow on your face, they can appear around the eyes as well. In this particular area, these milia-like lesions or cysts are also called Calcinosis cutis.
Remember that although they may look alike, they are not milia. So, don’t be confused between the two syndromes.
Teeth
The medical term for calcium deposits on teeth is Enamel Hypocalcification. As the name suggests, this syndrome is a defect of tooth enamel, where it is softer than average due to the production of hypo-mineralized enamel. To simply put, it is the Ameloblast cells’ (tooth enamel’s) doing as they might add an excessive amount of calcium to synthesize the teeth, hence appear the white spots.
Another explanation is, in reality, there’s always a plaque formed on your teeth’s enamel and below the gum line. When the plaque is calcified (i.e., hardened), they become tartar (a.k.a. calculus). Thus another name for calcium deposits is calcification.
Tendons
Bones and tissues are connected by strong bands called tendons. When crystalline buildups of calcium form in them, put pressure on them, they cause Calcific Tendonitis.
The most common locations affected by such syndrome are on the shoulder or rotator cuff (i.e., a set of tendons and muscles enclosing the shoulder joints).
What Causes Calcium Deposits?
Before going to the main section on how to get rid of calcium deposits, it’s really important for us to know the cause of this illness. And the following is what we’ve researched so far:
Face
The roots can be various. Below are just some most common reasons as to why calcinosis cutis appears on your face.
Infection and Injury
Crystalline calcium spots can become visible around the traumatic site, which is usually caused by tissue diseases, infections, or inflammatory reactions. Calcium deposits on the skin can form even after the damaged skin has healed.
Acne
Acne damages the skin, leading to calcium builds up on the face. Even after your skin is done suffering from acne, elastic fibers and collagen will form and cause more calcium deposits.
Hyperparathyroidism
Or simply put: the thyroid gland or parathyroid glands are over-stimulated. The latter plays a role in adjusting the calcium metabolism within the body. Hyperparathyroidism happens when more out of four parathyroid glands are over-stimulated, resulting in the excess of parathyroid hormone and higher calcium levels in the bloodstream.
The higher calcium levels of could form hard calcium lumps everywhere on and in your body: on the face, or in the joints.
Overusing Nutritious Supplements
Ingesting too much calcium-rich food, or Vitamin D-rich and magnesium-rich supplements can pave the way for calcium to deposit in the face.
This is because hypercalcemia (i.e., too much calcium in the body) happens when your body has an unevenness of minerals. In the case of Vitamin D and calcium specifically, when the levels of these substances are too high, the kidneys cannot reabsorb them. This condition results in the excess calcium accumulates in the soft tissues of the facial skin.
In more severe cases, excess calcium can also damage the kidney’s function and further complicate calcinosis cutis. Meanwhile, excess Vitamin D will both cause visible calcium balls on facial tissue and could lead to heart disease, as well as hardened arteries.
Paget’s Disease
Unusually, bone tissue breakdown is this disorder’s most common symptom. Calcium deposit’s chances to grow on the face can also be increased thanks to Paget’s disease.
This can be simply explained like this, Paget’s disease is a bone-related problem that can affect the forming or remodeling ways of bones. And this, in turn, will affect levels of calcium in the body. Specifically, it will increase the calcium levels in the bloodstream. The excess calcium causes hard, yellowish or whitish cysts to appear on your face.
In this case, knowing how to get rid of calcium deposits on face has the same meaning of how to treat Paget’s disease.
Around the Eyes
Makeup Products
Naturally, the first thing most people with calcinosis would think of is how to conceal these hideous little spots. But know that the skin around the eyes is particularly delicate. So, applying cosmetic products (especially the oil-based types) over this sensitive area will damage it further and pave the path for stronger development of calcium deposits.
Briefly explained, there is oil as well as the calcium components contained in makeup products which. If not removed thoroughly and on time, will remain firmly on your skin. And what a disaster it would make if/when the calcium deposits inherently dwell around your eyes “befriend” with the added calcium factor in the makeup items.
Infection
If the skin around the eyes (on the eyelids, under the eyes) is already infected by other causes before the calcinosis appear, the calcinosis will soon follow. For example, if sties occur repeatedly, they will bring about calcium deposits.
This can be simply explained like this: to cause a sty, the bacteria (staphylococcal) dwelling on the skin surface will multiply and create a blockage that forms pus formation. When the sty is removed, the calcium will be transported there alongside with other fluids to heal the damaged area.
If the sty isn’t carefully treated, more calcium will be transferred there to deal with the remaining residue of the sty. Eventually, this leads to the calcium deposit under that skin area.
Injury
Similar to the reason above, if the area around your eyes is injured or wounded, the healing process will demand the transfer of calcium to the affected skin. If there’re scars, even though the wounds are healed, buildups of calcium are remained and hardened over time, leading to one or some growths around the area.
Aging Process
As we get older, we have to deal with more stress and confront with many traumas in life. And the more regular the depressing events occur, the more damages the skin around the eyes will get.
We already know how delicate this skin area is, so when the walls of the blood vessels there are repeatedly hurt for a long time, calcinosis will happen.
Other Causes
The priority targets of this syndrome are soft and sensitive tissues. And the skin around the eyes happens to be one of the softest and most sensitive tissues of the body, just as it is an ideal harbor for excess bits of calcium (the 1% left) to dock.
Other than that, cysts can also be formed due to excessive sunbathing, genetics, or burns.
Teeth
Next, let’s look at the cause of calcium deposits on teeth before finding how to get rid of calcium deposits on this part.
Internal Factors
Teeth’s Trouble Developing
Calcium is deposited when the teeth start developing. If there’s a malfunction during this stage, the calcium gets released much more than usual, resulting in the white streaks on the enamel.
Calcium Bathing
Your teeth are constantly submerged in the saliva containing calcium. While there’re other substances help protect the teeth, the steady contact with calcium leads to calcium accumulating on the teeth.
Aging Process
As people get older, the teeth become lack or loss of minerals. This condition is called hypo-calcification and can quicken the formation of hardened calcium.
Hygiene Neglect
Since tartar deposits can assimilate faster as we grow older, people should pay more attention to dental hygiene.
Otherwise, when plaque is formed but not regularly removed, it’ll harden and cause calcium spots on your teeth.
External Factors
Dehydration
When your mouth is dry, the pH levels become imbalanced, which encourages the bacteria in there to multiply. The chalky spots on the teeth surface appear because of the acid secreted by those bacteria.
Teeth Whitening Strips
People can have white, spotless teeth thanks to this method. However, it is not without adverse effects, one of which is the discolored streaks on your teeth.
This is because such whitening technique is highly acidic that will dry your mouth, as well as remove the enamel. And you know, less enamel means more white spots on your teeth.
Acidic Foods and Drinks
Just like the effects caused by teeth whitening strips, the acid in your foodstuff (e.g., sour candies, vinegar, lemons, etc.) and beverages (e.g. lemonade, carbonated soda, etc.) can strip the enamel off of your teeth, too.
Other than that, the calcium carbonate in organic secretions and food particles help form deposits on teeth as well.
Poor Dental Hygiene
Apparently, if you neglect to brush your teeth for a while, plaque will form and add hardened calculus on your teeth. This is because when the calcium phosphate isn’t brushed away, tartar appears and become a surface for more plaque to build upon. Eventually, this leads to white spots forming on the teeth surface.
Also, people wearing braces are prone to have white spots on their teeth, too. The braces aren’t at direct fault, though. Instead, it’s because your brush can’t reach into certain areas of the teeth to clean them thoroughly. So it creates a suitable condition for calcium phosphate left from the foodstuff to adhere to the plaque.
Tendons
Internal Factors
Doctors have yet to identify the exact cause of calcific tendonitis. However, there are certain proofs that the development may link to:
- Thyroid disorders
- Metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes)
- Genetic predisposition.
Gender and Aging Factors
Also, they note that more women have this syndrome than men and that it often occurs around age 30. The same goes for people who make lots of overhead arm motions.
The problem here is that it will be pretty tricky to solve the question of “how to get rid of calcium deposits on tendons” because tendons belong to the internal part of our body.
What Are the Symptoms and Effects of Calcium Deposits?
Face
Symptoms
Their very lumpy presences are the best proofs out of all signsindicating you have calcium deposits on your face. But it doesn’t just happen overnight, and you can see it right in the next time you check your reflection in the mirror.
Instead, these growths slowly accumulate and will appear with time. And they are quite easy to detect, as there’re various symptoms accompanied.
Sickly-Colored Lesions on the Face
The calcium deposits first appear as small bumps, nodules, plaques, or patches of white or yellow color. It can develop anywhere on your face: on the forehead, near the ears, on the cheeks, and around the eyes.
Because of calcium’s forming nature is to develop as hard mass, these skin bumps are firm to the touch.
Pain
There’re cases where these calcium patches grow with no other warning sign. But the deposits can be irritating and tender, sometimes to the point of intense pain if they’re ulcerated and happen to appear on sensitive areas of the face.
They may also ooze discharge of cream color. If left untreated on time, the skin around the buildups may become gangrenous.
Effects
Not only is your face become less slightly, but lesions caused by calcium deposits can also both irritate your skin, and sometimes are very painful, too.
If the spots have ulcerated, they will become infected repeatedly and can hinder the normal functioning of some parts of your body. For example, if the bumps growing very close to your mouth become infected, it’d be too irritated or too painful to even moving the lips or the jaw to talk, chew, or drink.
That’s why the minute you see these despicable lumps; you just want them gone. In other words, the sooner you find how to get rid of calcium deposits on your face, the faster you will be cured.
Around the Eyes
Symptoms
Just like other types of calcium deposits, these calcinosis cutis develops slowly and gradually. That’s why most patients often don’t become aware of these white, little lumps at first. Only after a few months of closely observing can they realize the small bumps are tiny deposits of excessive calcium enclosed underneath the skin surface.
Why are they not identified as calcium buildups right away? – First, this is because at first sight the small bumps relatively look like external skin growth, boil, or rashes. And they can easily be concealed with make-up.
Then, even if the patients see these spots, most don’t think they’re calcium accumulations. More often than not, patients with calcinosis also suffer from body pain (like back pain or muscle pain), stiffness, mental instability (depression issues, anxiety bouts) in the morning. So they merely chalk the white cysts up to tiredness, rather than pinpointing the cause as calcinosis.
Effects
It’s often said that “the eyes are the windows to the soul,” so it’s quite annoying if there’s something around this area, but you just can’t get rid of it, isn’t it?
And despite being considered harmless by most physicians, the bumps affect the patient’s life greatly. To be more specific, it’s their appearance that is at risk here, for these unsightly spots grow on the most frontal area. Therefore, not only will these calcinosis cutis make the eyes look tired, they make the patient feel very self-conscious as well.
What’s more, the formations may even disturb the eyes’ functions if they grow under the eyelids or in the eyes.
Teeth
Symptoms
When your body has calcium buildups, there’ll be visible spots of white, brown, or even black color on your teeth. People usually dismiss the tooth-colored spots because they mistake them for part of the teeth.
In reality, these calcium streaks are abnormally whiter because they contain hypocalcified enamel. And they can whiten quicker than healthy tooth anatomy. But when the teeth rehydrate after a few days, the spots will disappear as well.
Since these tartars link to poor dental hygiene, the accompanying symptoms would be bad breath and discolored unstable teeth.
Effects
Inflammation
Eventually, the gum tissues will be inflamed due to too much tartar adds up under your gum and on your teeth. Inflammation leads to more room for plaque, then advances into gum diseases.
Bone Loss
Once the gums become inflamed, they’ll be reddened and susceptible to bleeding. If the condition isn’t attended to on time, the bone and supporting structures of the teeth will be damaged as well. This is called bone loss.
Unconfident
Who wouldn’t be self-conscious when they have some things as unattractive as calcium deposits on their teeth? These unsightly calcium streaks have you conceal your smile, especially when the blasted spots are exhibited right on the rows of front teeth.
Tendons
Symptoms
Pain
This is the most typical sign of calcific tendonitis. It usually starts with a dull ache on the side or top, front or back of the shoulder, then spread down into the arm. There’re no external or visible wounds, so most patients opt to dismiss the sign until the pain becomes very intense and unbearable. Finding how to get rid of calcium deposits on tendons is now a must.
Movement Limited and Sleep Deprived
You can quickly tell who has calcific tendonitis when you see one – They look exhausted from lack of sleep, they can’t sit still for a long time, all the while busily grabbing and massaging their shoulder.
It’s true that not all patients with calcific tendonitis experience its most typical sign. But the others, who can feel it, may also find that their range of movement is limited. It’s tough for them to move their arm because of the severe pain. Such pain robs the patients of their sleep as well.
Effects
Pain
Under-skin deposits are more worrisome than its surface-dwelling counterparts. Particularly, if they develop inside your body, and on moving parts at that, they’ll cause mild to intense pain. The latter is the problem, as it implies that the accumulations are big or have become inflamed.
Shoulder Restricted Motions
Often, the shoulder is what suffers from calcific tendonitis the most. In fact, worldwide medical professionals identify calcific tendonitis as one of the most popular causes of shoulder pain.
If the calcium forms in this place, it’ll glue the shoulder’s socket to the arm bone tightly where they meet, thus hinder your arm movement. You’ll feel pain and discomfort every time you perform work or sports that require some sort of overhead arm motions (e.g. heavy lifting, tennis, golf, basketball, etc.)
Achilles Tendon
Achilles tendon is the connection between the calf muscle and the heel bone. Though this type of tendon is found in the feet, ankles, thighs, knees, wrists, and hips as well. This means that there’re solid chances of these places also get calcific tendonitis.
Complications
What happens to the untreated calcium deposits after a period of time? – Often, they’ll dissolve on their own.
It may take a long time (months, years) for the progress of calcific tendonitis to reach the third and final stage (a.k.a. the most painful process) – reabsorption. This is when the body removes or reabsorbs the fully form deposits.
Other times, complications such as adhesive capsulitis (i.e.. frozen shoulder) and rotator cuff tears can happen when calcific tendonitis is unattended.
How to Get Rid of Calcium Deposits?
It’s time to discuss how to get rid of calcium deposits on face, around the eyes, teeth, and tendons. First, let’s take a look at our most distinct body part – the face:
How to Get Rid of Calcium Deposits on FACE
Natural Remedies
Facial Mask from Fruit Peels
You can improvise a kind of face mask from fruit peels. Unlike the strong levels of acid contained in fresh fruits, the acid in the peels is decreased and is deemed safe enough not to damage the affected skin further, at the same time it can still be effective to cure the syndrome.
Daily apply the peels as poultices to treat these calcium particles will help in exfoliating the skin atop the swellings.
Ice
Use a towel to wrap an ice pack or ice cube, then let it sit on the deposit for a few minutes.
Ice can help in minimizing the occurrences of calcium formation, as well as reducing the painful inflammation of the affected skin caused by these cysts.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is famous for its usages of soothing and smoothing the skin. Basing on such notion, it’s also used to treat small cysts like calcium deposits as well.
Applying the Vera gel on the affected skin over a period will help soften, supple, and smooth the skin underneath, making the hardened deposits either fall off easily or get dissolved, and be reabsorbed to the body.
Massage
Calcium deposits can be gotten rid of with some massage, too. This method not only helps you relax, but it can also make the skin soft and supple – an important factor to make those crystalline buildups disappear.
Daily massage the affected skin area with organic oil, Aloe Vera gels, or anti-aging creams, and you may get the desired results. For the best outcome, you should use olive oil. Olive oil is absorbed into the skin very quickly because it’s quite similar to the oils our body produces.
The process is carried out like this: wash your face thoroughly with warm water and pad it dry. Gently massage the affected area with a small amount of olive oil. You can apply the moisturizer after the massage session.
Medications
Surgery is the final method you could employ. Otherwise, these lumps can be removed by the use of some creams and medications.
Creams
- Antibiotic Creams: These creams contain antibacterial properties, which are helpful in softening the hardened deposits. And therefore can remove the small calcium balls effectively.
- Topical Retinoid Cream: This particular cream is an enormous help in freeing the skin off dead skin cells. It also encourages the replacement of new cells, and gradually removes the deposits in the process.
Prescribed Medicines
- Calcium-channel blockers: the goal of these remedies is to weaken the calcium and so hinder it from entering the cell. In the end, they help in reducing intracellular crystal formation.
- Diphosphonates: will help slow down both the bone remodeling and its calcium secretions.
- Antacids: can help keep phosphates in the intestine, and so stalling its absorption.
- Calcimimetics: help decrease calcium levels by reducing parathyroid hormone (PTH) when it takes effect on the parathyroid gland.
- Other useful remedies: Magnesium oxide and Aluminum hydroxide.
Surgery
If all of the methods above don’t work, you can always consider the last resort of surgically removing the annoying calcium deposits.
However, this option should not be conducted habitually, and you need to mull over it very carefully because the excision may stimulate calcification further. And there’s no guarantee more calcium accumulation won’t spring up either.
The surgical method is reserved for removing the deposits that have repeatedly infected, ulcerated, been awfully painful and hindering the performing of certain body parts.
Nonetheless, in light of the drawbacks above, another option like Electric shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is more advisable to treat calcinosis cutis.
How to Get Rid of Calcium Deposits AROUND THE EYES
Sometimes, calcium deposits around the eyes can miraculously disappear on their own. But if they don’t, you can consider how to get rid of calcium deposits around the eyes using some treatment options below.
Natural Remedies
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is the miraculous gift from nature. Just like the effects it brings when treating calcium deposits on the face, Aloe Vera can treat these buildups around the eyes as well.
If applied regularly, the gel made from the extracted essence of this plant will soothe and smooth the affected skin. Therefore, softens the hardened deposits and leads to them either get dissolved or fall off by themselves.
Massage
Again, what treatments can bring positive effects when applied on the accumulations on the face can also be applied to those cysts growing around the eyes.
The simple steps are the same too: wash and dry your face thoroughly before applying a small amount of olive oil (Aloe Vera gels and anti-aging creams will do as well) to the affected area. Gently massage it daily until the skin becomes soft and supple enough that buildups disappear all by themselves. Remember that the skin under your eyes is tender and tends to get wrinkles easily, so you need to be extra gentle. Remember to pat moisturizer on your skin after each massage session, too.
Medications
Antibiotic Cream
The calcium residues can be taken out if the skin around the spots is soft enough to remove the hardened sections.
To soften the skin, you can use a moderate amount of antibiotic cream to apply on the affected area. Repeat daily until the skin is softened and you can remove the white crystal deposits easily with a gentle press. Remember always to keep the area clean before you attempt to squeeze them out to prevent infections.
Staphysagria
This homeopathic medicine is produced from the seeds of the herb called Delphinium Staphisagria (Staph.). Not only can it relieve pain, at the same the time the medicine stimulates healing as well.
Among other usages, Staphisagria can be used externally to relieve eyelid inflammation and sties. In this case, the hardened deposits will be reduced if the medicine is regularly applied.
Removing Calcium Deposits
Here are steps you could follow at home to solve your emergency question “how to get rid of calcium deposits around your eyes.”
Open the Pores
Wash your hands thoroughly first. After that, boil 2 quarters of water and wait for it to cool down a little. When you can touch the still steaming hot water, dip a clean cloth into it.
After the cloth is thoroughly soaked, wring it out till there no dripping water, only moist. Now place the hot cloth on the calcium formations and keep it there. Remove the cloth when it isn’t hot anymore.
Extract Calcium Deposits
The accumulations will be evacuated from the pores if you slowly, gently, and carefully press together two opposite sides of the skin around the deposit. This process can be carried out smoothly since the pores are opened by the hot steam. So, hot steam is the key here. And you could use a facial steamer for that same purpose.
If there’s a particular spot of calcium deposit that won’t come out after two tries of squeezing, you can repeat the steps above (soak the cloth in hot water, wring it out, apply it on the stubborn spot till the heat is out, gently press the spot) until it is successfully taken out.
Note:
The skin around the eyes is sensitive, so it can be painful (and difficult) to remove the calcium buildups dwelling in the pore there. Before attempting to remove those ugly spots, you should consult your doctor, just in case.
Remember that you must not pick at the calcium formations if they grow near your eyes. These are not common blackheads so you can’t treat them as such. Doing this will only make the situation worse if the skin is scared or infected.
Surgery
If the calcium deposits remain even though you’ve tried all the remedies above, surgery may be the last resort.
There’re surgical debridement and enzymatic debridement. Consult your doctor to find out the most optimal way to eliminate these little lumps.
For example, with the use of a sterile extractor, the doctor can remove calcium deposits underneath the eyes quickly as shown in the video below:
How to Get Rid of Calcium Deposits on TEETH
The cures are as diverse as the causes. Let’s see which one is best for your condition and find your own answer to the question “how to get rid of calcium deposits on teeth.”
Home Remedies
Fluoride-Infused Toothpaste
Calcium on teeth can indicate that your teeth are lack of fluoride. So give your teeth what they want and brush them with fluoride paste daily. It can diminish the calcium formations and may even be effective with deep-seated deposits.
Soda
Brushing the teeth with Sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a. baking soda) helps to tackle the white spots and raise the pH levels in your mouth. The salt works to breaks down the buildups, restoring a relatively smoother, whiter, and brighter surface for the teeth.
You can make mixtures of paste using baking soda such as:
- Baking Soda – Oil (1:1 Ratio): The unit is a teaspoon. You can use coconut oil or sesame oil. Dip your toothbrush in the mixture and use it to brush your teeth for 2 – 3 minutes. Afterward, rinse with lukewarm water thoroughly.
- Baking Soda – Salt (2:1 Ratio): The process is carried out just the same as with the above technique: dip dampened toothpaste in the blended powder, scrub it gently on your teeth to scuff away tartar.
- Baking Soda – Hydrogen Peroxide (2:1 Ratio): But note that the hydrogen peroxide solution should only be of 3%. Since this is a kind of mild acid, any stronger and it can become more harmful than helpful. For first time users, only take a small amount of this blend to see if there are any side effects.
Note:
- These techniques with baking soda can only be used once or twice a week to keep the enamel from being damaged.
- If there’s something off during the brushing and you experience pain or discomfort of any kind, stop using at once and visit the dentist ASAP.
- The same applies when there’re any side effects occur after using the blend.
- Keep these mixtures out of the reach of children and pets always.
Oil
Olive Oil – Turmeric (1:1 Ratio)
The fat and oleuropein in olive oil will form a film over the teeth to protect them from the formation of harmful bacteria, as well as preventing tooth loss. Meanwhile, turmeric is famous for its anti-inflammatory effects. The thick paste made from these ingredients will form an amalgam to fight off tartar deposits.
Usage: apply on toothbrush and scruff teeth for 3 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with water.
The same applies to olive oil as mouthwash: swish the oil for 5-10 minutes before rinsing thoroughly with water.
Sea Buckthorn Oil
Sea buckthorn is well-known for its antibiotic, abrasive, and anti-inflammatory nature. By regularly swishing a few drops of this oil for 2-3 minutes before the tooth-cleaning routine, the tartar and plaque will soon be removed.
Also, this oil can soothe the swellings in the gums by applying it directly to the inflamed areas.
Green Collection
Green Tea – Soda Bicarbonate (1:1 Ratio)
Tea of any color (e.g. green, black) contains Polyphenols which helps reduce inflammation of the gums and maintain good dental health. Additionally, it provides important minerals and vitamins needed to re-mineralize your teeth.
Gently brush your teeth for 3 minutes with this mixture. Try not to miss any crevices or gaps while you are at it. Rinse out with water afterward.
Green Tea Mouth Rinse
There’s nothing better than green tea to replace chemical mouthwashes. This rich, natural source of fluoride not only holds back the plaque buildup but also encourages better quality tooth enamel.
You only need 1 tea bag (or 1 tsp. of tea leaves) of either color. Soak the bag (or leaves) in 1-2 cups of warm water in 5 minutes. Take it out after squeezing as much fluoride out as possible into the water. Now you can swill the liquid around your mouth for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then spit it out.
Repeat the process until there’s nothing left in the cup. Rinse your mouth daily with green tea 5 minutes before brushing your teeth to gain the best effects.
Aloe Vera
When tartar or plaque causes gum diseases, it’s best to use Aloe Vera. This miracle plant is antimicrobial. So it not only kills harmful bacteria that build up the plaque, but it also prevents gingivitis and bad breath.
You only need an Aloe Vera leaf for this remedy. Wash the leaf thoroughly, then slit it up to extract the pulp. Use this pulp to rub on the teeth and gum line gently. After 10 minutes, use cold water to rinse it off.
To reap the best effect, use this technique twice every day.
Fruits
Orange Peels
Orange peels contain limonene which helps break down tartar without eroding the enamel. Meanwhile, the Vitamin C in the peels prevents the development of microorganisms on your teeth.
Usage: Before bedtime, directly scrub the inside part of fresh orange peels on the gums and teeth surface. Remember to leave it overnight and only rinse it off the morning after. Repeat the routine to clean and whiten your teeth.
Note that you can use powder made from dried orange peels if you don’t have the fresh peels.
Guava
There’re antiplaque agents contained in guava fruit, as well as its leaves. These agents help remove the plaque formation on gums and teeth. Additionally, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties in them can soothe the pain caused by swelling gums.
Usage:
- Daily chew thoroughly some cleaned tender guava leaves, then spit out.
- Or, you can chew a piece of immature guava with salt 1-2 times daily. Repeat for a few days straight.
- Or, daily rinse your mouth with guava leaf extract.
These methods will help reduce the formation of plaque on your teeth.
Professional Remedies
These options preserved for when all other methods are proved to be ineffective. You only consider these treatments as the last alternative on how to get rid of calcium deposits on teeth.
Prescription Pastes
There’re CCP-ACP and less than 1000 ppm fluoride contained in the pastes. They play a role in the re-mineralization process.
Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy
Such options are employed when neither polishing nor regular brushing works at this stage.
Scaling with Ultrasonic Tools
This method may require anesthesia during the process and antibiotics or painkillers for post-treatment.
Cool water will be sprayed on your teeth by a vibrating, high-frequency device. This is to nick immovable tartar buildups. Afterward, the teeth surface will be refined by the use of specific polishing tools.
If you want to see how doctors clean calculus with ultrasonic, take a look at this video:
Bonding Procedure
This painless procedure will erase the discolored streaks on your teeth.
First, the teeth surface will be prepared. Then a conditioning liquid is applied to stick the bonding material to your teeth. Finally, the bonding material will be shaped and hardened by ultraviolet light.
How to Get Rid of Calcium Deposits on TENDONS
There are various ways to treat this condition, ranging from improvised methods to medical options, physical therapy, surgical, or nonsurgical options. Depending on the size, amount, and location of the deposits, your condition may be fixed with just one type of procedure only, or it can be a mix of several types at once (e.g. nonsurgical procedure and medication, physical therapy and medication, etc.).
Good news is that calcific tendonitis can be cured without surgery in most cases. The following sections will show you how to get rid of calcium deposit on tendons:
“Quick Fix” Method
Usually, people with sudden bouts of shoulder pain will employ a “quick fix” to relieve their pain. In this case, shoulder ice (a.k.a. compression sleeves) may work wonderfully. It is introduced that this object can help with the severe pain of calcific tendonitis.
Though it could be months before that can happen, there’ve been recorded that calcific tendonitis can resolve and disappear all by itself. Therefore, if the pain is not too much, you can take time using the shoulder ice and monitor the condition closely.
Most patients claim that the calcium deposits on tendons will dissolve away, be absorbed back into the body. So if you’re lucky, you might be one of them.
Prescribed Medicines
If it becomes so intense and unbearable, your doctor will give you something to soothe the pain and inflammation. Usually, NSAIDs are first in the list of recommended medicines of the doctor. These types of over-the-counter remedies include Ibuprofen (Advil), Aspirin (Bayer), and Naproxen (Aleve). Also, the medical professional may encourage you to rest while taking the anti-inflammatory medications.
Because these drugs can be bought without a prescription, and unless your doctor says otherwise, you should be careful and strictly follow the recommended dosing.
If the pain still isn’t subsided or the swelling doesn’t go down, you may need to inject cortisone (a.k.a. corticosteroid).
Non-Surgical Options
Before coming up to a specific treatment, the doctor will have to check your conditions first by employing the combination of performing a physical exam, X-ray, and ultrasound.
For physical exams, your doctor may ask you to move your arm (e.g. lift it up, make arm circles, etc.). This is to observe and evaluate if there are any hindrances in your Range of Motion (ROM).
Next, the X-ray and ultrasound will assist the doctor to detect and locate the large and small calcium particles. Specifically, the larger bits are detected by the X-ray, whereas the smaller ones overlooked by the X-ray are located by the ultrasound. Only after these steps are carried out can the doctor plant out a suitable treatment for you and your specific condition.
If the doctor identifies your condition as mild-to-moderate, he or she may list out some non-surgical procedures for you. These methods can conveniently take place right in your doctor’s office, so there’s nothing to be nervous.
Below listed some common non-surgical approaches your doctor may suggest applying to your case.
Percutaneous Needling
Note that these are invasive kinds of therapy. Meaning, there will be anesthesia, needles, and skin penetration required. That said, set your mind at rest because these are nonsurgical treatments. However, if you’re still not okay with this idea, your doctor will recommend you three other types of non-invasive procedures, which will be introduced after this one.
To perform a Percutaneous needling procedure, the doctor will only use a needle to pierce small holes in your skin after administering anesthesia to the affected area. The crystalline deposits will be taken out manually. Therapeutic ultrasound may be performed in conjunction with this method to help the needle achieve the most accurate aim and position.
Another treatment of this type to both break the accumulations and sooth the pain is “Lavage.” In this procedure, two needles are inserted into the affected tendon. Then, the calcium particles will be rinsed out with the saltwater solution.
Another method is called “Barbotage” (a.k.a. Fine needling). The needles used in this procedure play an opposite role to the method above. That is, instead of carrying liquids into the tendon, the needles are used to suck the particles out directly.
After the procedure is carried out, you may feel sore for a couple of days. But the pain of being injected can be tolerable because it isn’t long-lasting. Often, people say it’s much better after a week or so.
Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Therapy (ESWT)
Can be performed weekly for 3 continuous weeks, this therapy is ideal for those who are uncomfortable with the notion of piercing needles because it doesn’t require penetration of the skin to break the calcium deposits on the tendons. Instead, mechanical shocks will be delivered to your shoulder via a handheld tool.
There’re different levels of the shock wave, from mild to intense. The higher the frequency shocks, the more effective this therapy will prove. But sometimes, patients may find it uncomfortable, even painful when the shocks are too strong. However, this can be easily adjusted – just ask your doctor to modify the shock-wave for you.
Therapeutic Ultrasound
Another non-invasive treatment is the using of or ultrasound therapy. The purpose is to break the calcium deposits up, or at least to make them smaller without breaking the skin surface.
The doctor will break down the formations of calcium using ultrasound. Specifically, a hand-held tool will direct the sound wave of high frequency at the crystalline buildups of calcium.
That’s it! No pain, no needles, no blood whatsoever! What’s a great answer to the question “how to get rid of calcium deposits on tendons”!
Radial Shock-Wave Therapy (RSWT)
Briefly explained, the effects produced by this type of treatment are similar to those of the ESWT.
Via a handheld tool, your doctor will send energy mechanical shocks to where the calcium deposits are located. The energy level employed ranged from low to medium.
Though this treatment neither needs needles nor is there any blood shedding, some patients may find it a bit of discomfort. But in general, the mild pain is tolerable to most patients.
Surgical Options
After trying one of the non-surgical options and yet the pain remains, this could mean that the calcium deposits in your shoulder are too hard to rinse out thoroughly. At this rate, the calcific tendonitis is labeled moderate-to-severe. And now the optimal resort is to have surgery.
By the way, this situation is rare – only 1 in every 10 people will experience this. So don’t worry overmuch.
Back to the case where an operation is required. The purpose of this option is to remove the deposits directly. Depending on the size and amount of the formations, the incision will be accordingly large (open surgery) or small (arthroscopic surgery).
Open surgery is required if the size of the deposits is large. The doctor will use a scalpel to make a large cut in the skin, right above where the calcium buildup is located, and take the buildups out manually.
Otherwise, your doctor will most likely opt for outpatient arthroscopic surgery. The doctor will slit your shoulder a little to insert a small camera (arthroscope). After that, the calcium deposit will be removed by the surgical tool led by the arthroscope.
How long your recovery period will depend on such factors (deposit’ size, amount, and location), plus the type of your surgery. So it may take either only one week or a couple of months before you can function well again. Usually, it takes a shorter time to recover from an arthroscopic surgery than from open surgery.
During that time, you may or may not suffer from post-surgical pain. If the pain bothers you and hinders your activities, ask the doctor for advice.
Physical Therapy
Calcific tendonitis cases from moderate to severe level will require physical therapy. This is to help prevent the affected areas from being stiff, as the tendons are strengthened by stretching exercises. Practice them regularly, and your range of motion will return in no time.
We’ll show you how to get rid of calcium deposits on tendons using two surgery procedures below:
Rehabilitation After Surgery
You may be advised to wear a sling after undergoing either type of surgery. Don’t worry though, you only have to wear it for a couple of days. During that time, the sling will act as a protector and supporter of your wounded shoulder.
Also, physical therapy exercises are strongly recommended. These sessions usually last for about 2 months with light stretching, range-of-motion, and weight-bearing exercises. The levels will be raised gradually following your recovery progress.
Rehabilitation without Surgery
Most prescribed exercises to rehabilitate the shoulder are Codman’s pendulum exercises. These range-of-motion exercises help your muscle relax and restore the shoulder’s movement with easy, practicable swinging of the arm.
The next level for your affected shoulder will be isometrics and weight-bearing exercises. But rest assured that there won’t be anything too hard or too intense in these rehabilitate sessions.
How to Prevent Calcium Deposits?
After all, finding how to get rid of calcium deposit on different parts of your body is compulsory but not the best solution simply because prevention is better than cure. Keep reading on:
Face
Calcium deposits on the face can be treated. But the curing processes are troublesome, and no one can be happy with those ugly spots on their face. So it’s always better to take precautions. Here’s what you can do to nip them in the buds:
Vitamin C and Magnesium Foods Increasing
These substances can be found in brown rice, avocados, seeds, nuts, yogurt, beans, etc.
Also, the lack of Vitamin K in your diet can increase the chances for calcinosis to build-up, too. So you better start including Vitamin K rich fruits and veggies in your daily meals (e.g. Brussels, dried basil leaves broccoli, dark leafy vegetables, cucumbers, etc.)
Vitamin D Foods Restriction
Limited unit of Vitamin D intake for adults is 200 IU daily. This means you should lessen Salmon, Cod liver oil, mushroom and the like in your diet.
Drink Enough Water
Water will help the kidneys wash away toxins and keep your body from being dehydrated.
Take Care of the Face
You should wash your face thoroughly with warm water every morning. This is to cleanse the excess oil and residues secreted overnight. Take special care and be gentle when massaging the affected skin on your face and around the eyes.
To prevent further development of deposits (and it’s relaxing, too), take a warm shower or tub soak every day for 20-30 minutes.
Visit a Doctor
If you see some white bumps appear on your face one day, but you don’t know what to make of them, consult your doctor as soon as possible.
Otherwise, if the insistent bumps affect your daily life too much, you can also ask the doctor to remove them.
Around the Eyes
Remember that surgery cannot prevent calcium deposits from reoccurring although it’s very effective when it comes to how to get rid of calcium deposits around the eyes. Therefore, it’s best to nip them in the buds by taking good care of your skin and minding what you ingest.
Vitamin C Foods Increasing
Your diet should contain more sour-flavored fruits (orange, strawberry, kiwi, etc.) and vegetables that are high in Vitamin C (sweet pepper, broccoli, cabbage, etc.)
Calcium Foods Reducing
Calcium is found in dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.) and calcium-fortified fruit juices. Those are the food types that should be limited down a bit in your diet until the calcium level in your body is restored.
Also, foodstuff that’s high in Vitamin A (carrot, winter squash, spinach, etc.), Vitamin E (almonds, avocado, wheat germ oil, etc.) and Vitamin D (Salmon, Cod liver oil, mushroom, etc.) helps the cells to preserve calcium, so they need to be reduced as well.
Drink Enough Water
Not only to keep the body from being dehydrated but drinking enough water daily will also help wash out toxic substance in your body and readjust the metabolism.
Take Care of the Eyes
When you wash your eyes, especially after waking up, remember to massage the skin around them gently as well. Whenever you have the time, try to relax by lying down, close your eyes and cover them with rosewater-soaked cotton pads. This method helps in preventing the assimilation of calcium buildups.
Visit a Doctor
There’re several significant reasons to schedule a visit with your medical professional:
- As calcium deposits occur more often due to the aging process, you need to see your doctor regularly once you are 35 years old and over.
- If home treatments don’t work and the little lumps annoy you greatly, ask the doctor to remove them. They are professional, and they will know the exact answer to the question “how to get rid of calcium deposits.”
- If you’re unsure of what to make of the tiny, milia-like lesions around your eyes, and that you’re suspecting they are calcium deposits, give them a proper checkup as soon as possible.
- If the white bumps are identified as calcium deposits and if they cause pain, tell your doctor immediately, lest the cysts spread further and affect your vision.
Teeth
Remember: Dental hygiene is the key!
Part of the forming of chalky streaks here is due to bacteria. Therefore, it’s best to follow good dental hygiene to prevent these thingies, as well as the development of calcium deposits on your teeth.
Brush Teeth
Gently brush your teeth at least twice every day. Zinc-contained (or tartar-control) toothpaste is highly recommended in reducing calcium deposits. About two-minute brushing is ideal and doesn’t neglect the tongue and gums. Don’t brush too hard, either – lest you hurt the tissues and make matter worse.
For those who have braces, make good use of the toothpicks and try to brush thoroughly coupling with flossing regularly.
Although teeth hygiene is our everyday task, many people still don’t know how to brush their teeth properly. We have this video for you:
Floss Teeth
Flossing your teeth daily – especially before bedtime, and thrice a week is recommended. Flossing will attack the plaque hiding in the gap between two teeth.
Mouthwash
You should complete the routine of basic dental hygiene with the use of mouthwash twice a day, 30-second swish each time. To help with the calcium formation, use the fluoride-infused types.
Disclosing Tablets
These special tablets are useful in highlighting parts that we tend to forego when brushing. The colors will react with stains to show the areas in red or blue.
The utilization is simple, too. After brushing, pop one tablet into your mouth, swirl it around for 2 minutes to detect the neglected areas. Re-brush those areas.
Tendons
Consult with Doctor
You should see the doctor whenever you experience unexplainable or constant pain in your shoulder. It may just be a false alarm, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Periodic Checkup
Though there is not any proof yet as to whether or not calcific tendonitis will recur after being adequately treated, you should schedule periodic health visits (PHVs) with your physician, just to be sure.
FAQs
How do you get rid of calcium build up?
There’re various types of calcium accumulation. And each type has its own cures, which are also diverse. Generally, they could be grouped into home remedies (including those approaches that you can try at home on and by yourself) and professional remedies where you have to visit a doctor, physician, or medical professional.
Some of the represent solutions of both types have been listed above. In short, for the home remedies, it will be the scientific use of the veggies and other natural ingredients in your garden and kitchen.
Don’t forget to take precautions against this syndrome by regularly or periodically scheduling a checkup with your trusted medical professional. Also, set up a healthy lifestyle with good personal hygiene (in case where the buildups occur on teeth and facial features), and an excellent diet following each type of calcium deposit.
What does a calcium deposit look and feel like?
When a calcium deposit happens, you can quickly feel and see it. If the formation occurs on your face, including areas around your eyes, they may look like white, little cysts, rashes, external skin growth, or boil. This means the emerging, small lumps are hard (as they’re actually crystalline buildups of calcium residue). Often, patients won’t feel anything if these spots are not infected. Otherwise, irritation and even pain are sure to follow.
The mild to intense pain on your shoulder, which can feel full or firm after some time of movement restriction, may be the sign of calcific tendonitis. It’s recorded that the extracted deposits of this type feel like toothpaste.
Are calcium deposits cancerous?
This syndrome usually does not work that way, but the concept is understandable and, to be honest, isn’t out of the realm of possibility. In fact, it is proved correct in the case of breast calcification.
These formations of calcium in breasts can be commonly found on mammograms. However, the difficulty here is that it’s pretty hard for the patient to spot or feel the symptom when one has calcifications in breasts. That’s because calcium deposits in breasts are too small that they can’t be felt or detected during an ordinary routine of breast exams.
Usually, a mammogram can first notice breast calcifications. Only with its use can your radiologist interpret and classify the nature of the calcium add ups in these places. Note that there are many types of calcifications in breasts, and not all of them are dangerous. Some are benign, while others can turn to cancerous development.
Can you reverse calcium buildup in arteries?
The scientific name for the case where the arteries are hardened is Atherosclerosis. This happens when the development of arterial plaque, where the calcium can build up, occurs after the vessel wall was injured.
At first, the plaque is usually soft. Then it gradually hardens and narrows the arteries over time, and eventually become calcified. Those with arterial calcifications are more susceptible to heart diseases (heart attacks, strokes), as the formations happen in Coronary arteries.
However, this syndrome is said to be reversible. The primarly cause is due to a severe shortage of essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins in the vascular wall cells. This shortage results in the dangerous instability of said vascular walls, as well as the lesions, cracks, calcium accumulations, etc.
Therefore, to help repair and prevent atherosclerosis, together with the damages to artery walls, you’ll need to add the accordingly lacked, essential nutrients to your diet.
What foods can remove plaque from arteries?
To repair and replenish the cells in your damaged artery walls, you should set up a diet plan with beneficial trace elements such as Vitamin E and C, lysine, beta-carotene, proline, etc.
To be more specific, try to include veggies, fresh fruits, fruit juices, beans, nuts, fishes, unsaturated oils (e.g., canola, olive oil), while strictly restrict the consumption of glycemic-rich food like breads made up of whole grains, pasta, etc. Also, dairy products should be ingested in moderation.
As it is, supplements are helpful in reserving atherosclerosis. So, be sure to intake lots of vitamin A, B complex, C, E, K2, beta-carotene. Moreover, the antioxidant supplement like co-Q10 helps unblock arteries.
The buildups can be prevented by fish oil, whereas phosphatidylcholine simultaneously fights the development of mass clots, enhance insulin resistance and the function of the cell membrane.
Conclusion
Certain types of calcium buildups affect the patient’s beauty (i.e., their facial appearance) but are otherwise harmless. However, that does not mean these crystalline buildups of calcium should be left untreated.
Although they may look benign at the moment, in the long run, any type of calcium accumulation can disrupt the functions of your external as well as internal body parts (i.e., your organs), affect the blood vessels, and will eventually lead to more severe diseases. Finding how to get rid of calcium deposits is necessary as the result.
So, the best thing to do is to cure the illness as soon as you spot it, combining with prevention methods to ensure its chances of coming back are minimized. This way, not only you’ll have a pretty face, a healthy body, but you’ll live a happy life as well!
Hopefully, you now know how to get rid of calcium deposits on face, teeth, tendons and around your eyes.
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