Oral cavity irrigator - what is it and why do we need it? Probably, no more than 1% of Ukraine's population knows the answer. And for most people the word "irrigation" reminds of a famous pledge of a literature character Ostap Bender "Let's drink to irrigation of Uzbekistan!" But mouth cavity irrigators have nothing to do with "irrigation of Uzbekistan".
  Irrigators are wonderful devices that provide effective protection against widespread deceases, caused by bacteria and viruses.
  As we know, oral cavity is inhabited by more than 20 species of various decease-causing germs, which are especially numerous in dental plague. When hygiene measures are insufficient, the germs intensively multiply in the dental plague and cause the inflammation of tissues, adjacent to teeth, and progressive inflammation eventually leads to teeth loss.
  There is only one solution - good hygiene, i.e. thorough everyday cleaning of the oral cavity and dental plague removal. This way you can extinguish the germs. Surely you can remove the bacteria from open surfaces using only toothbrush and tooth paste, but how can you clean inaccessible places?
  Here is when it comes to using this wonderful appliance - oral cavity irrigator. Its powerful stream carefully washes remote places, inaccessible for your toothbrush, thus removing decease-causing germs and leaving a pleasant feeling in your mouth.
  It's clinically proved that everyday brushing and flossing are not enough to keep your teeth and gums healthy, as there are a lot of spots and places in the oral cavity that toothbrush and dental floss can't reach.
  Due to application of oral irrigators spaces between the teeth are thoroughly cleaned. Remains of food are completely removed from interdental spaces, gingival sulcuses (folds between tooth crown base and gum), tongue and mucous membranes. Application of the irrigator in the "shower" mode massages gums and mucous membranes, thus improving circulation of blood in the blood stream.

  Application of the irrigator is administered:
-for cavities and periodontium deceases prevention;
- to solve the problem of bad breath;
- to clean the places, inaccessible for toothbrush;
- to patient with fixed dentures, implants, orthodontic appliances (brackets);
- to patients with poor immune system (with diabetes);
- to pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers;
- to smokers.

  Applying the irrigator only 2-3 times a week will considerably improve the health of your oral cavity. You will feel the effect within a week!
  But don't forget that constant everyday application may cause gums injury.
  You can apply the irrigator more often than 2-3 times per week only on dentist's order to cure different deceases:

  1. Gingivitis (early stage of periodontitis), when the gum is inflamed but dentogingival attachments are still firm. As a rule, patients having gingivitis complain for inflammation, gingival hemorrhage and bad breath after teeth brushing.
  2. Periodontitis - stage of tissue injury, following gingivitis. Periodont is more deeply inflamed, which results into dentogingival attachments damage. Progression of the decease causes teeth loss.
  3. Cavities,localized in hard-to-reach spots, namely: on the edge between the tooth and the gum, as well as at the points of teeth contact. These places are never cleaned by toothbrush, and toothpaste can't penetrate there.
  4. Application of the irrigator is highly recommended to patients wearing crowns, bridgeworks, implants and brackets.
  Patients with heart deceases (heart failure, rheumatism, artificial heart valve), should consult their physician before using the irrigator.

  Irrigator application rules:
  1. Apply the irrigator only after brushing your teeth.
  2. Adjust water stream, as under high pressure toxins from the dental plague and their waste products may get in the blood channels and cause complications.
  3. Stream should flow at a straight angle to the tooth.
  4. Cleaning one jaw takes up 5-10 minutes.

  The irrigator consists of a miniature hydraulic pump with electronic head adjustment, water (working mixture) container and a handle with a nozzle. This is a traditional irrigator. But lately a lot of new kinds have emerged.

  Kinds of irrigators, their advantages and disadvantages:

  1. Irrigators with electrical hydro pumps.
-Stationery irrigators - tapping into a power line:
  Advantages:
  - high capacity, allowing for necessary water head;
  -wide working pressure adjustment range;
  -many models are equipped with in-built nozzles;
  -due to comfortable detachable design one can always keep it clean.
  The only disadvantage is increased vibration, typical of some irrigator models.

-Portable (travelling) irrigators - operate on in-built power supply.
  Advantages: mobility and small weight.
  Most portable irrigators have more disadvantages:
  -low current supplies as a rule do not allow for necessary working pressure;
  -frequent change (recharging) of the batteries is necessary;
  -they often have unreliable plastic attachments, and their service life is short. Besides, small reserve of water (working mixture) doesn't allow for thorough cleaning.

  2. Irrigators, connected to water supply line.   Advantages: simplicity and cheapness.
  Disadvantages: such irrigators are often contraindicated because of highly unsatisfactory sanitary state of running water.
  Modern industry offers a big variety of irrigator models. You can choose the one you need for a good price and for your purpose (family, personal, traveling; as well as a hygienic set, including a toothbrush and an irrigator).
  Attention! Irrigator is the latest hygiene product. It can help you to solve your problems as well as cause injury when misused.

  Things to remember when using the irrigator:

  1. Water, used in the irrigator, must be disinfected, as any infection from running water can penetrate in the micro-injuries in your mouth. This may cause serious and even irreversible consequences! The easiest way to disinfect water is boiling. Make a habit of boiling water in advance and let it stand in a separate vessel until it's of room temperature. These simple actions eliminate the risk of oral cavity infection. Of course, you should remember that you should feed only indoor temperature water into the irrigator! Hot water may damage plastic details of the appliance.
  2. As a rule, using only water in the irrigator isn't enough, as it can't extinguish pathogenic germs. It is recommended to add special mixtures for irrigator, which:
  - provide antibacterial and anticarious effect;
  -decrease teeth sensitivity;
  -decrease gums bleeding;
  -repair mucous membranes injuries in the mouth cavity;
  -remove soft dental plague and bad breath.
  To make this manipulation pleasant for your children, you can add special fruit-scented mixtures the kids will enjoy!
  Irrigation water is fed under pressure into the mouth cavity, it massages the gums, improves blood circulation, removes food remains and plague from interproximal areas and gingival spaces.
  Expendable materials for the irrigator should be tested and approved by the manufacturer of the appliance, as not all expendable mixtures are of good quality. Before use make sure the irrigator mixture you have chosen is safe for your health and will not dilute plastic or resin details of the appliance. The customer is responsible for failure of the irrigator, caused by expendable materials of poor quality (if thus stated by the manufacturer).
  3. When using the irrigator you should follow manufacturer's instructions and remember that irrigator is an electric appliance. Nowadays benefits from the use of irrigators are clinically proved and confirmed by practicing dentists.
  But even if you use the latest hygiene products for domiciliary care, you still need to see your dentist at least once in 6 months to have your oral cavity professionally cleaned. It takes an experienced professional to control the state of your teeth and gums and the quality of your hygiene, as well as to find initial presentation of dental deceases and to prevent their development.
  It is true that good hygiene saves your money, because prevention is always cheaper than treatment, prosthetics, or implantation!