In the past decade there has been a surge in awareness and interest in periodontal disease. This is largely due to the realization that it’s bacterial infection, one that can lead to tooth loss. As such, dentists have redoubled their efforts to encourage patients to practice good oral hygiene and checkups twice yearly. Unfortunately, many people are still at risk of contracting gingivitis or periodontal disease, which can require more intensive treatment at home. If you’ve recently had your gums rechecked and discovered you suffer from some degree of periodontal disease, you may ask: Can Waterpik reverse periodontal disease? While Waterpik cannot cure this condition completely on their own, they can go a long way towards helping you manage it effectively with the aid of your dentist or hygienist.
Waterpik periodontal disease treatment
Before we can discuss whether waterpik can reverse periodontal disease, it’s important to understand how periodontal disease is typically treated. If you’ve just been diagnosed with moderate or advanced gum disease, your dentist may recommend treatment with oral antibiotics. While this may sound alarming, antibiotics are a standard treatment option for most moderate cases of periodontal disease because they kill the bacteria that cause the disease.
The better your antibiotics work, the less damage they cause to your gums and the more likely you’ll be able to save your teeth. If you’re experiencing severe gum disease, your dentist may recommend surgery to clean out the infection. In some cases, this may also require replacing missing teeth with implants or other restorative options.
How does a Waterpik help reverse periodontal disease?
As we’ve discussed, you can use oral antibiotics to treat. You can also use Waterpik to help eliminate up to 90% of the bacteria in your mouth. This is thanks to the device’s high-pressure water stream, which works to dislodge and flush away the bacteria living in your mouth. You can read more about the Waterpik’s ability to treat bacteria in the human mouth here.
As a general rule, you should use a Waterpik to help eliminate bacteria in your mouth at least once a day. While this treatment will not rid you of periodontal disease completely, it can help reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth, making your antibiotics more effective.
Other benefits of using a waterpik for oral health
Besides helping you treat and manage periodontal disease, Waterpik can also offer variety of other benefits for your oral health. For example, daily use of the device will help you significantly reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth, especially around your gum line. This can go a long way towards preventing the onset of periodontal disease.
Daily use of Waterpik can also help you remove plaque, which is the main cause of gingivitis and periodontal disease. Waterpik can make up for the shortcomings of brushing alone and help you more effectively clean your teeth.
Final words: does waterpik reverse periodontal disease?
If you’ve been diagnosed with periodontal disease, the best way to treat it to follow a daily oral health routine. This includes brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing once a day, and using a Waterpik once a day. While oral antibiotics can help treat, they don’t eliminate bacteria in the mouth. As such, they are significantly less effective if you don’t use a Waterpik along with them. So, can waterpik reverse? Yes, it can definitely help reduce the severity of the disease and aid in its treatment. That said, you cannot rely on your Waterpik alone to eliminate periodontal disease and you should always speak with your dentist about treatment options.
