Why Waterpik Works: Dentists Explain.

How Waterpik works

Waterpik is an oral instrument used to remove food and plaque from the interdental gaps and sulcus with the aid of a water jet. Although it doesn’t replace a toothbrush.
The toothbrush only cleans the tooth above the gums, whereas the Waterpik destroys plaque underneath the gums as well in the so-called sulcus.

The periodontium

In the animation you see a cross section of a tooth. You can recognise the following parts:

• the bone
• the root of the tooth
• the periodontal membrane
• the gums

These structures are called the periodontium.

The sulcus

Now, normally the gum start at the enamel cement boundary or the spot where the dental enamel turns into the route. They rise upward in the form of so-called sulcus. The sulcus is the area where the gums are not directly connected to the tooth, but normally fit tightly around it. The sulcus may be anywhere from 0 to 3 millimetres thick.

Plaque

Plaque is the name for tooth deposits. Plaque causes caries and periodontitis. This biofilm is formed by bacteria from saliva and food scraps on the teeth. Mature plaque is organised exactly like a small city.

Why Waterpik works and keeps everything clean

By using a Waterpik you destroy the plaque in the sulcus as well. In the past people thought that Waterpiks would flush the bacteria deeper into the pocket and therefore rejected the Waterpik concept. Today it’s known that this is nonsense.

For one thing bacteria are able to move by means of small appendages, the so called cilia and flagella. Also the process is not about the destruction of the bacteria themselves, but about restricting their ability to organise and eventually become mature plaque.

How to use Waterpik for optimal performance

1. Point the stream at the sulcus and on the outside move from the back towards the front.
2. Likewise on the inside move from tooth to tooth, briefly stopping in the interdental gaps.
3. When you first start to use the waterpik the gums may bleed, but don’t give up. This is only a sign that the gums are inflamed.
4. You will soon see that with regular daily use the gums will recover quickly.
5. Set the strength of the water stream to a level that feels comfortable to you. You will notice that you will quickly increase its intensity.