Introduction
The oral irrigator was introduced in the mid-1960s as an instrument for cleaning teeth. It consists of a water container with a motor and a handpiece with a nozzle. It is a component of oral hygiene and complements the cleaning of teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste. The water jet allows you to clean the hard to reach spaces between the teeth from food residues and loosened plaque. Under no circumstances can the mouth shower replace the toothbrush, as the water jet cannot remove the firmly adhering plaque.
Differences with the oral irrigator
There are mouth showers with a concentrated jet and those mouth showers that are additionally multi-jet. The gums are to be massaged by the finer multiple jets with lower strength and additional pulsation. In some mouth showers the strength of the water jet can also be regulated.
The single jet should not be too strong, so that the gums are not injured. As with most products in the field of oral hygiene, there are many different suppliers and models of oral showers on offer. A very effective product in dental cleaning is a so-called ultrasonic toothbrush.
It does not make any circular movements, but in contrast oscillating movements. In combination with this, there is the ultrasound-operated mouth shower. Usually, toothbrush and mouth shower are available in one unit.
Usually, however, the mouth shower is not ultrasonically operated. An ultrasonic toothbrush works mechanically just like other electric toothbrushes. However, the aim of the brush is not to clean the teeth by friction alone, but by making the liquid and toothpaste vibrate, thus achieving an optimal cleaning result.
An oral irrigator in general would not be more effective in its function by a mechanism operated by ultrasound. Its main purpose is to rinse coarse remaining food debris from the interdental spaces. The prices for oral showers range between 40.00 and 130.00 Euros, depending on the design.
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