How to Use an Oral Irrigator to Stop Bleeding Gums

Well-chances are that if you’re doing a search for an oral irrigator and bleeding gums, there might be something going on in your mouth that concerns you, and maybe perhaps you’re looking to see if there is something that you can do about it at home.If that happens to be the case, I invite you to read on, because that’s what I’m going to do.  I’m going to give you the tricks and tips that will not only get your gums to stop bleeding, but hopefully you will understand how to keep them bleeding for years to come.  Because, after all irrigation is the single most important thing you can do for the health of your mouth, but in reality it’s your entire body that it benefits.  Here are the ways to use an oral irrigator to stop bleeding gums:

Effective oral irrigation comes from using a pulsating stream of water.

The pulsations create a massaging effect on the gums.  The massaging helps bring oxygen to the tissues and also helps to massage bacteria and food out.  There are 2 types of pulsating oral irrigators.  One type is ionizing (Hydrofloss) and the rest are not (WaterPik, Via jet, Conair, Interplak etc). The ionizing unit (Hydrofloss) is unique because it helps to stop tartar build up as well.*There are other types of oral irrigators that attach to the shower and sink.  These are direct flows of water and do not pulsate.  These types are not as effective as the pulsating ones, they are however, better than nothing at all.

Use warm water if you have sensitive teeth. 

The portion of the tooth that is sensitive was once covered by the bone that has been lost to gum disease (really gum disease is called periodontal disease which is disease of the gum, bone and ligaments that hold the teeth in place).  The root of the tooth is sensitive because it has little tubes that go to the nerve endings…ouch.  Warm water helps to desensitize. 

Click here to visit www.oralhealthcoaching.com if you want to learn how to treat sensitive teeth

The stream of water has to get under your gums.

Your gums are bleeding because there is bacteria and other stuff trapped in between your teeth and gums.  The bleeding is your body trying to get rid of the stuff in the same way that your body tries to get rid of a splinter or any other foreign object.When you first start using an oral irrigator, start on a lower power setting and trace the teeth and gums so that you get a feel of where you need to clean with the water stream.Have the tip angled toward the gum, but avoid shoving the tip into the gums.  Once you know where you are trying to clean you can begin to pull the tip away from your tooth which gives the best pulsating benefits.  Once your gums get used to feeling you can turn up the power which makes it more effective.  Go slow when increasing the power.If you use a HydroFloss you can go full power, but many other oral irrigators can create too much pressure and can damage gums.  Read the directions on the one you have, or consider a HydroFloss for best results.

Put your head in the sink and let the water flow out.

Keep your lips and mouth muscles soft and relaxed.  Let the water flow out of your mouth.  If your head is up and you are looking at the mirror your bathroom will get messy and will become an excuse to not use it.  This is the biggest reason that people give for not continuing to use one long term; put a small mirror in the sink if you need to see what you are doing.

The bacteria that causes bleeding gums is soft.

That is the stuff that you have to focus on removing.  The hard stuff (tartar) does not have any live bacteria but it is rough which makes it easy for plaque to attach and further irritate the gums. Work at getting the soft stuff from in between your teeth and under your gums.  Getting the food out is nice too, but it’s the sticky plaque you are after.

Even just irrigating a few times a week will have a huge effect!

So many people shy away from irrigation because they think it is something that they have to commit to daily or it will not work.  Not at all!!!  Once you get your gums as healthy as you want them to be, don’t feel bad if you miss a day or even a few days.  It takes 5 days for plaque to mature and become an issue.  Keep in mind that if you miss a few days here and there, you may want to pay special attention the days you do use it.

If you add something to the water in your oral irrigator, you have to flush it afterwards.

Solutions can build up on the inside causing it to break.  Fill the tank with warm water and flush an entire tank on high speed once you are done.  Also, don’t leave water in the unit in between uses.

There is a product that you can use in your oral irrigator that actually removes tartar buildup!

I am so excited that someone has come along and made the product that everyone had said couldn’t exist!  Periogen is a tartar dissolving powder that you add to the water in your oral irrigator and it dissolves build up daily. 

Click here to learn more about Periogen. Periogen can be used in an oral irrigator, or it can be added to water and rinsed with if your build up is above the gums.

Oral irrigators are great at stopping bleeding gums when know how to use them, but like anything else the results you achieve may be limited if you use them incorrectly.  If you find that you are using one and still experiencing issues it may be that your technique isn’t just getting where it needs to.  You may be amazed to learn how a small little change may make the biggest differences! 

Oral Health Coaches help you to achieve the best results because they help you to understand the “how to” portion of taking care of your mouth.  It’s the smallest tweaks that make the biggest difference, and once you know those changes, the health of your mouth is amazing.Leave a comment and let me know what’s going on with your gums