An oral rinse is an oral hygiene instrument which uses a jet of water to remove bits of food and plaque from between the teeth and the sulcus, but does not replace the toothbrush.

A toothbrush only cleans teeth above the gum line, while an oral rinse also destroys plaque beneath the gums – in the so-called sulcus. The animation shows a cross-section of a tooth, where you can see the bone, the root, the ligament and the gums. These structures as a whole are referred to as the parodont. The gums ordinarily start at the boundary between enamel and cement, where the enamel turns into the root. The gums reach up a little and form the sulcus, the area where the gums are not connected to the teeth but fit tightly around them. This sulcus measures about 0-3mm.

Plaque is the term used to designate deposits on the teeth which cause cavities and parodontitis. This biofilm consists of bacteria from saliva and bits of food. Ripe plaque is organized like a small city, with bacteria specialized in adhering to the teeth, while other bacteria build canals used to transport nutrients, and still others dissolve dental enamel to provide energy for the plaque and so on. Each individual bacterium is not a threat in and of itself, it is only when they become organized as plaque that problems appear – in the form of cavities and/or parodontitis. Pathogenic plaque can build up within 24 hours, which is why it is important to prevent its spread.

The oral rinse destroys plaque in the sulcus, earlier it was assumed that an oral rinse would push bacteria deeper into the gum pocket and was therefore avoided. Nowadays we know that bacteria are capable of moving using small appandages (cilia and flagella), so the point is to prevent them from getting organized, by preventing the build-up of plaque.

The film shows the proper use of the oral rinse, simply point the water jet at the sulcus and go from back to front along both the inner and outer edges of the teeth, paying particular attention to the spaces between the teeth. At first this may cause the gums to bleed, but this is simply a sign that the gums are inflamed. If you use this rinse once every day the gums will recover fast. Set the pressure of the water jet to a level which is comfortable for you and you will notice that soon you will be able to increase the intensity.