The health and beauty of your teeth largely depends on how carefully your oral hygiene is maintained. Cleaning teeth from food debris and plaque with a toothbrush, due to the complexity of the dentition, the presence of hard-to-reach areas, and interdental spaces, is not effective enough. Dentists have long used irrigation in their professional practice to clean teeth. Now the home arsenal of dental care products has been replenished with a new device - an oral irrigator.
Why do you need an irrigator?
Irrigator is a derivative of the Latin word irrigatum, which means “to irrigate.” This is a device that allows you to use water to clean your teeth from organic residues remaining in the mouth after eating. The irrigator does not replace the action of a toothbrush. An irrigator is especially necessary when wearing orthopedic devices (bridges, brackets, brackets and others). With its help, structural elements and the surface of the teeth that come into contact with them are cleaned.
Operating principle of the irrigator
The principle of operation of the irrigator is based on the flow of a very thin stream of water under high pressure onto the elements of the oral cavity to be cleaned. This method of treating the oral cavity not only washes out the smallest food debris and removes plaque from the teeth, but also massages the gums, which improves blood circulation. The device consists of a hydraulic pump, a container for liquid and a handle with replaceable nozzles.
The reservoir is filled with water or solution, under the action of the compressor the pressure rises, and the liquid rushes to the handle with the nozzle. Different irrigator models provide a variety of water jet supply modes, which can be pulsating, spraying, constant, centered, or spraying. The liquid used is plain water or solutions with added agents that enhance the therapeutic and preventive effect of the procedure. Solutions of fluoridated, calcined liquid, antiseptics, antibacterial drugs, herbal infusions, and compositions for strengthening gums are used. Special attachments on the handle ensure that the water jet reaches areas of the dentition that are inaccessible to a toothbrush and floss.
How Irrigation Systems Work - A Brief Overview
To make it easier for a person to understand which irrigator to buy, it is necessary to first understand the operating principles of different models. The jet in various devices can be:
- continuous;
- pulsating;
- including microscopic bubbles.
It is permissible to fill the system with ordinary running water or a special dental solution. A large selection of tips and the option of supplying jets of different power allow you to fully rinse hard-to-reach areas that cannot be reached with a conventional brush.
Benefits of an irrigator
The benefit of the irrigator is better cleaning of the oral mucosa, surface of the teeth, interdental spaces, as well as orthopedic structures. And the absence of a biological substrate for the proliferation of bacteria and the rotting of food debris is the prevention of the development of dental diseases. Medical studies have found that a three-second treatment with pulsating water using an oral irrigator removes up to 99.9% of bioplaque on teeth.
Oral irrigator features:
- Significantly reduces the risk of developing caries.
- Promotes rapid healing of gums through micromassage.
- Disinfects and refreshes the oral cavity with antiseptic solutions.
- Cleans gum pockets and prevents the development of periodontal disease.
- Treats the oral mucosa with medicinal solutions for stomatitis
- Prevents the deposition of pigment on the surface of tooth enamel when smoking, drinking strong coffee, tea, red wine.
- Removes plaque from the mucous membrane of the tongue and gums, which reduces bacterial contamination of the oral cavity.
- Prevents destruction of the enamel coating of teeth when installing braces, braces and other orthopedic devices.
- To reduce trauma to soft tissues due to bleeding and loosening of the gums, replace the toothbrush.
Who should buy
In addition to users of braces and other orthodontic systems, people who:
- want to keep their smile healthy;
- prone to the formation of large amounts of stone;
- fight the problem of unpleasant odor;
- suffer from increased bleeding gums;
- have crooked teeth, due to which certain areas cannot be properly cleaned.
When deciding which mechanism is best, it is important to understand that it only serves as an additional means of cleansing the mouth. It is impossible to replace a brush or, for example, floss with a device of this type.
Dentists recommend using the system three times a week and only if there is an urgent need. This is quite enough to ensure that the gums remain healthy, and “deposits” of food residues do not form in the interdental spaces.
Types of irrigators
Types of irrigators differ from each other in technical characteristics, design, and operating principles. Stationary models are placed in the bathroom and operate from the mains. They are equipped with a large capacity for liquid and have a powerful engine that creates a high level of pressure. The device is usually used by the whole family, so it comes with many attachments.
Flaws:
- The energy source is too small to create the required water jet pressure.
- The need to frequently replace batteries or charge the battery.
- The volume of water is not enough to fully clean the oral cavity.
- Flow irrigators are attached to a water tap and use the pressure of the water supply system. Special tap valves allow you to regulate the fluid pressure.
- Mechanical types of irrigators are now rarely used. These are devices in which the pressure required to produce a jet is achieved by mechanical action on the piston. There is a key on the body of the device that is pressed to increase the pressure in the vessel with the liquid. The efficiency of such a device is low
- Tap water mixed with chlorine and heavy metal salts enters the oral cavity.
- There is no pulsation mode.
- Often the water pressure is not enough for effective cleaning.
- Modern models use the latest fine-bubble cleaning method, which is considered the most effective.
- The pulsation mode also promotes the rapid removal of microparticles of organic substances from teeth and orthopedic structures.
What to look for when choosing
Depending on the type of design, equipment can be stationary or portable. The first is designed for indoor use. Most often these are models intended for use at home. They are equipped with a compressor that creates a powerful air flow. Since the kit comes with different attachments, the whole family can use one device.
Among the advantages of stationary developments:
- high power;
- possibility of pressure adjustment;
- multi-purpose use.
The disadvantages include:
- big sizes;
- very noisy work;
- inability to work without power supply.
As for portable analogues, they work thanks to the built-in power supply. They are formed by a reservoir, a removable tip and a small pump. Many models can be disassembled, making them very convenient for transportation.
Portable options are mobile, lightweight, and ergonomic. You can take them with you on trips. During operation they create very little noise. Among their disadvantages:
- low power;
- supplying a weak water jet;
- the need to frequently replace batteries.
For people who travel a lot, portable products are quite suitable. But for the highest quality cleaning, you should still give preference to stationary options.
Types of removable attachments
Several types of attachments have been developed to perform various oral hygiene tasks:
- The standard one is used for daily brushing of teeth.
- Periodontal is designed to cleanse gum pockets.
- Nozzle for removing plaque from the tongue.
- The orthodontic attachment is used to care for braces and other dental devices.
- The brush attachment performs the work of a classic toothbrush and massages the gums.
- The teeth whitening attachment is used in the process of cleaning and polishing the enamel.
- Manufacturers of irrigators and their features
- In the modern market of dental devices, irrigators are presented in a wide range.
How to use it correctly
The devices are very easy to use. Before you turn them on, you need to brush your teeth the old fashioned way - with a brush and toothpaste. Only after this proceed to treating the interdental spaces with water flow. The reservoir can be filled with dental solution prescribed by your doctor.
The tip must be held in such a way that the jet is delivered at an angle of 60 to 90 degrees. The duration of the cleansing procedure should be up to ten minutes. Children under six years of age may only use the equipment under parental supervision. It is forbidden to mess with him.
Dentist advice
Before you start using the device, you need to consult a dentist who will help you choose the optimal fluid supply mode, frequency of use, and solution composition. Compliance with all operating rules is the key to safe use of the irrigator. Rules for using the irrigator:
- Cleaning should begin with a gentle regime, gradually increasing power over 7-10 days.
- It is not recommended to use the device earlier than 24 hours after installing any orthodontic structures in the oral cavity.
- The liquid stream should be directed towards the teeth at a right angle.
- It is permissible to use an irrigator for children from 6-7 years of age, always under adult supervision. A high-pressure jet of water entering a child's windpipe can cause tracheal spasm and asphyxia.
- Long-term use of aseptic solutions can disrupt the normal microflora of the oral cavity and cause dysbacteriosis.
- The device can be used for gingivitis and periodontitis only during remission.
- The duration of the procedure is 5-10 minutes.
Contraindications and risks
Possible contraindications are temporary. The urgent question is whether an oral irrigator is needed for gum disease? Necessary, but with some restrictions.
It is not recommended to use the device in acute forms of gingivitis, periodontitis, or for those who have recently undergone oral surgery, such as tooth extraction or implantation. They can be used only when the mucous membrane is healing.
For safety, you must strictly follow the recommendations for use:
- the procedure itself should not last more than 15 minutes;
- use nozzles correctly;
- adjust the water pressure depending on the sensitivity of the gums.
