Depth of penetration in periodontal pockets with oral irrigation

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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Water Pik® oral irrigator as a vehicle for delivering an aqueous solution into periodontal pockets. Plaque‐disclosing dye diluted with sterile saline solution was applied with the irrigator toward the gingival margins of teeth at 90° and at 45° prior to their extraction. The mean % penetration measured between a reference notch at the gingival crest and the periodontal ligament at the bottom of the pocket showed no statistical difference between the two angles of application. Penetration ranged from 44% to 71%, the lowest being into pockets 4–7 mm; higher mean penetration was noted in both subgroups 0–3 and >7 mm. No statistical difference was found between proximal and facial or lingual surfaces, maxilla and mandible, existence of tooth contact, and proximal tissue contour or consistency. The mean % penetration was independent of pocket depth (χ2 analysis). Correlation between pocket depth and mean penetration was low for all but one subgroup (90° application and pockets > 7 mm). The results suggest that the oral irrigator will deliver an aqueous solution into periodontal pockets and will penetrate on average to approximately half the depth of the pockets.