Oral Irrigators - dental

Toothsmith

If I see someone who has good oral hygiene - then I rarely suggest they make changes, whatever they are doing or using.

If I see someone with problems, then I make suggestions on how things could be improved.

If your dentist/hygienist thinks you're doing well - then probably no reason to change anything. If it's just you who thinks you're doing well, then I would get that confirmed by a professional!

GDB2222

Here's my experience. (The short story is that a Waterpik saved my teeth.)

I had really terrible gums - a score of over 20. I avoided the dentist like the plague, and he was threatening to send me to a gum treatment specialist.

I was lucky, though. The dentist persuaded me to see his hygienist regularly. She's a lovely lady, and she was very gentle with my inflamed gums.

I couldn't use brushes or floss, mainly because my gums were so bad. But I did start with a waterpik. Gradually, things improved, to the point that I was able to use interdental brushes and floss. My gums are actually good now.

My nightly routine is to start with the waterpik. It slooshes out all the food waste, before I start in with the brushes and then the floss. I finish off by brushing. This is all easy now - there's absolutely no bleeding or discomfort.

thepurplepixie

I love tepe brushes. I've been using them for a few years and gone from needing fairly regular fillings to no new fillings in years. I wish they had been around 50 years ago! I think I wouldn't have nearly as many fillings. Mind you I'm not grumbling, mid 60s and all my teeth still with me. Long may it continue.

thepurplepixie

Just wanted to add all my kids have had trouble with wisdom teeth, I missed that and never got them and I tell the kids I am more evolved than them. Anyway they have found the irrigators useful when they were waiting to get wisdom teeth out and the angle of the wisdom teeth made it nearly impossible to clean properly and they were getting lots of gum problems and worried about the adjacent teeth deteriorating. Maybe they are useful in specific cases?

LittlestFlower

My dentist uses and recommends a Waterpik. Think its great and have no problems with teeth or gums. It's really easy to use too

abc987

GDB2222 wrote: »

Here's my experience. (The short story is that a Waterpik saved my teeth.)

I had really terrible gums - a score of over 20. I avoided the dentist like the plague, and he was threatening to send me to a gum treatment specialist.

I was lucky, though. The dentist persuaded me to see his hygienist regularly. She's a lovely lady, and she was very gentle with my inflamed gums.

I couldn't use brushes or floss, mainly because my gums were so bad. But I did start with a waterpik. Gradually, things improved, to the point that I was able to use interdental brushes and floss. My gums are actually good now.

My nightly routine is to start with the waterpik. It slooshes out all the food waste, before I start in with the brushes and then the floss. I finish off by brushing. This is all easy now - there's absolutely no bleeding or discomfort.

good to hear that you saved your teeth.

Toothsmith

The thing is, it's not really the 'food debris' that causes the problems.It's more the matrix of protein & bacteria that build up more invisibly on the teeth around the roots and in the spaces. The little brushes like Tepes etc clean this away more efficiently that these (relatively low pressure) pressure washers.

For people with limited movement or dexterity, an oral irrigator is probably better than nothing - but just because they seem to clear out the chunks of chicken and sweetcorn, it doesn't mean they're doing everything that needs to be done!

Ronpeter

You have made it so simple for me to understand but else am I supposed do having done that. One thing more can someone with braces or invisalign use it ?

Toothsmith

Invisalign are removable plastic devices - so you shouldn't be cleaning teeth with them in place anyway, and nothing needs to change with the usual oral hygiene routine.

They can be used with 'train track' braces - but it wouldn't be the thing I'd recommend people rush out and buy for that either. Cheaper, more effective methods are available and just modifying normal OH measures should be enough.

maddiemay

Toothsmith wrote: »

The thing is, it's not really the 'food debris' that causes the problems.It's more the matrix of protein & bacteria that build up more invisibly on the teeth around the roots and in the spaces. The little brushes like Tepes etc clean this away more efficiently that these (relatively low pressure) pressure washers.

For people with limited movement or dexterity, an oral irrigator is probably better than nothing - but just because they seem to clear out the chunks of chicken and sweetcorn, it doesn't mean they're doing everything that needs to be done!

Not meaning to hi-jack someone else's thread, but thank you for explaining the above, your para 2 describes my difficulty (RA), but I will make sure I use the little brushes too.