A Newly-Designed Periodontal Pocket Irrigator (PPI) Improves Periodontal Health

Objectives: Patient compliance with regular professional and home care is among the challenges of successful periodontal therapy. Despite the use of oral hygiene aids designed to improve home care, maintenance of difficult-to-access areas remains a challenge for patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a newly-designed periodontal pocket irrigator (PPI) for subgingival irrigation and enhancing periodontal health. Subject compliance, acceptance and safety were also evaluated.
Methods: Sixty subjects (22-65 yrs old) with ≥5 mm pockets in molar areas and generalized gingivitis (MGI ≥2 and BOP≥20%) were enrolled in a 2-week randomized controlled-trial. After a 1-week washout period, subjects were randomized to PPI (n=31) or Water-Pik (n=29) used twice daily after brushing. Gingival index (MGI), Pocket depth (PD), Plaque index (PI), and bleeding (BOP) were measured at baseline and at 2-weeks. Subject questionnaires were collected. At 2 weeks, the delivery capacity of the irrigators was spectrophotometrically calculated by measuring the florescence intensity of solution mixed with a food-dye delivered to the pockets.
Results: All subjects completed the trial with no major adverse events. There were no significant differences between subject characteristics (age, gender, race, smoking status and product compliance; p>0.05) between groups. The majority of subjects found both products convenient and effective, with no significant differences between groups (p>0.05), however there was a positive trend in subject satisfaction using PPI (p=0.089). Both groups showed significant reductions in GI, PI, PD and BOP at 2 weeks compared to baseline (p<00001) with no significant differences between groups (p>0.05). Both irrigators successfully delivered the solution into the pockets of molar teeth with no statistically significant difference (p=0.4).
Conclusions: The results of this pilot study suggest that the newly designed oral irrigator is safe and effective for delivery of antimicrobials into “difficult to access” periodontal sites with greater subject satisfaction.