Even though I brush very carefully, there's always a lot of tartar to
be scraped off when I pay my six-monthly visit to the hygienist.

I'm wondering if this is because I don't use toothpaste (this is
because I brush as soon as I wake up, and toothpaste would spoil the
taste of my breakfast).

I read once that toothpaste is only really a vehicle for fluoride
delivery, and makes no difference to plaque removal, but now I'm
wondering if that's true.

So, would I remove more plaque (and thus delay tartar build-up) if I
brushed with toothpaste?

Thanks in advance.