'tartar-producing' is a compound formed from 'tartar' and 'producing'. 'tartar' originates from French, specifically the word 'tartre' (Medieval Latin 'tartarum', from Greek 'tartaron'), and 'producing' comes from the verb 'produce', which originates from Latin 'producere' where 'pro-' meant 'forward' and 'ducere' meant 'to lead'.

'tartar' entered English via French 'tartre' and Medieval Latin 'tartarum' (ultimately from Greek 'tartaron'), while 'produce' evolved from Latin 'producere' to Old French forms and then Middle English; the modern compound 'tartar-producing' is a straightforward combination in modern English combining the noun and the present-participle verb form.

The components originally referred to distinct concepts ('tartar' as the mineral deposit and 'produce' as to lead forth); combined in English as a compound adjective they now specifically mean 'causing the formation of dental tartar'.