According to the National Library of Medicine research, "People with high dental plaque are more likely to experience severe caries, periodontal disorders, and eventually tooth loss than those with low or medium dental plaque." Simply put, the deposition of dental plaque causes inflammation, tooth and gum disease, and, in extreme cases, periodontal disease.
You might be curious about the plaque that causes such damage to the teeth. It is a thick material composed of residual food particles and saliva that accumulate on the teeth, eventually causing gum and periodontal disease. Therefore, removing deposited plaque from the teeth is necessary to prevent severe dental issues. One of the most efficient techniques for cleaning dental plaque is gingival irrigation.
This article will discuss the role of this efficient dental treatment in preventing periodontal diseases. Let's start our topic by learning about this dental procedure.
What Is Gingival Irrigation?
It is a common treatment for periodontal diseases in which dentists use a stream of directed water to loosen and remove dental plaque. The treatment is more effective when combined with other dental procedures, such as scaling and root planing to remove infectious tissues and harmful germs. Thus, it eliminates all dirt that has developed between the teeth and the gum line.
The procedure is called "pocket irrigation" or "oral irrigation." The tool required for this procedure is an oral irrigator, which was first used in 1962 as an alternative to dental flossing.
Further, let’s discuss its types to understand this treatment thoroughly.
Types of Gingivitis Irrigation
There are two types of this dental procedure which include
1. Supragingival Irrigation
The pocket irrigation method includes placing the jet tip above the gingival margin. This way, the solution penetrates the subgingival sulcus and flushes out the harmful debris.
2. Subgingival Irrigation
This irrigation procedure involves placing the soft, site-specific tip below the gingival margin. It is effective for irrigating specific sites such as periodontal pockets, crowns, bridges, and dental implants. Thus, it helps to remove the decayed debris below the gingival margin.
You might think, "Is this dental treatment effective for everyone?" Unfortunately, it does not work for everyone who suffers from periodontal disease, but it is most effective for individuals in the early stages of gum disease. So, keep reading to learn more about this procedure.
Who Needs This Treatment?
Dental treatments for periodontal diseases benefit everyone, but gingivitis irrigation is crucial for the following patients.
-
Braces Wearers
People who wear braces or other orthodontic appliances face difficulty cleaning and flossing around the metal wires, so they often suffer from dental plaque. Consequently, flossing alone is not enough to prevent such gum diseases.
In such a situation, oral irrigation proves a better option, as it removes more plaque than flossing. As a result, it prevents plaque and tartar deposition while keeping teeth and gums healthy.
-
Persons With Dental Implants
Oral hygiene is a must for keeping implant-supported teeth healthy; otherwise, plaque deposition can increase the risk of implant failure. Therefore, gingival irrigation becomes vital for patients with dental implants to prevent plaque formation, gingivitis, and gum bleeding.
It ensures the success of the dental implant and other dental restorations, such as crowns and dental bridges.
-
Diabetic Patients
Diabetes is a medical condition that increases the risk of gum disease. They cannot fight against bacterial infections and suffer more severe gum diseases than non-diabetic people.
Further, some gum diseases also affect the blood glucose level, leading to poor diabetes control. In such situations, oral irrigation is an excellent alternative to brushing and flossing for diabetic patients. In addition, it promotes great gum and tooth health by controlling plaque deposition.
Next, let’s jump into the process of this effective dental treatment.
What Is the Oral Irrigation Process?
Generally, the treatment is more effective when combined with pocket reduction surgery or dental cleaning. Let’s understand this procedure in detail in combination with the following methods.
Pocket Reduction Surgery
It is a common periodontal procedure that eliminates bacteria, reduces inflammation, and saves teeth. Also, it reduces the risk of secondary infections by limiting bacterial spread.
During this procedure, special scaling and root planing instruments clean the tartar and subgingival plaque. When the periodontal pockets become free of debris, it is easy to spray antimicrobial agents with the help of an oral irrigator. As a result, no harmful bacteria will remain in the pockets, leading to good oral health.
Deep Cleaning Procedure
The oral irrigator removes oral subgingival bacteria to clean periodontal pockets during this procedure. Thus, it helps to restore gum and tooth health by eliminating harmful strains of bacteria and germs.
Gingival Irrigation Process at Home
It is also possible to perform this procedure at home using a water pick or water jet. The streams of directed water at high pressure clean the interdental spaces, but it is not an alternative method to a professional dental cleaning.
Now, let’s move on to the overall benefits of this dental treatment.
Benefits of Gingivitis irrigation
The main benefit of this procedure is to prevent periodontal disease, but it also improves oral health in the following ways.
-
Interdental Cleaning
It is an effective treatment to blast the deposits of food particles, plaque, tartar, and debris between the teeth and the gum line. Hence, it removes periodontal pockets by destroying harmful bacteria and improving oral health.
-
Subgingival Cleaning
Pocket irrigation is a safe method to clean out bacteria and other toxins developed below the gum line. Thus, it plays a role in improving tooth and gum health.
-
Halitosis Prevention
Halitosis is bad breath due to decayed food particles in the mouth. Gingival irrigation proves beneficial to get rid of halitosis as water jets clean away all decayed food particles from above and below the gum line.
-
Antimicrobial Application
Antimicrobial substances are effective in removing and preventing harmful oral bacteria. During pocket irrigation, such substances can be combined with water to remove harmful bacterial strains successfully.
Summing Up!
A healthy mouth is usually a sign of a healthy body; therefore, paying attention to oral health is essential. Any deposited food particles or debris can become dental plaque if they escape from a brush or a flossing thread. Therefore, it is crucial to remove plaque at the initial stage and prevent it from becoming a gum disease with the help of gingival irrigation.
In such conditions, getting help from a dentist to remove dental plaque is imperative. For better results, dentists should use high-quality dental instruments that they can get from GerDentUSA.
We have been manufacturing and supplying dental tools for the last three decades. Above all, we also follow the FDA’s guidelines while manufacturing our tools and offer customization of dental instruments to meet our customers’ demands.
FAQ’s
Are Our Dental Tools FDA Approved?
Yes, we provide dental tools that are FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved. Being ISO 13485 certified, we have a reputation as a reliable dental instrument manufacturer and supplier. We also offer customization of dental tools according to our customers’ choices.
What Material Do We Use To Make Our Tools?
We use German stainless steel to manufacture our tools, making them rust and corrosion-proof. Moreover, we also use Tungsten Carbide and Titanium to add longevity to our tools. All these materials are durable and resilient.
Are Our Tools Sterilizable?
Yes, most of our tools are easily sterilizable and reusable. But it is essential to read our manual guides carefully before applying sterilization.
