Waterpik and Dark Triangles

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#1 Post by **karencoutts** » Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:51 pm

As my teeth are straightening and the gaps are getting larger, I find that I have dark triangles formed where there is less gum tissue between two adjoining teeth at the roots. By dark triangles, I mean an empty space that appears like a little black triangle. Food gets caught in these triangles all the time now, and I did not have that problem before orthodontic treatment.

Does anyone know if using a Waterpik makes this problem worse or better? I'm worried that I'm blasting away at the gum that is left in those spaces and may be enlarging the triangles.

#2 Post by **sirwired** » Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:20 am

If you look at the waterpik instructions, they tell you not to blast your gums directly with the water jet at all, unless you are using the perio tip. Instead, you are supposed to aim it at about a 90-degree angle against your tooth near the gums, and let the "ricochet" clean out the sulcus.

SirWired

#3 Post by **allisun** » Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:49 pm

Sulcus, huh, that's a new word for me! Sounds appetizing

#4 Post by **karencoutts** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 11:06 pm

Thanks, Sirwired, for pointing out that I am not supposed to be blasting the gums directly...

But I have been following the instructions. I am to "glide jetpik along the gumline", "pausing briefly" between teeth. You know, there are gums between my teeth, or rather, there used to be. I think they call it the papilla? When you are running the tip along your gumline, do you divert it down every time you go between teeth?!!! I have been gliding along by feel, and would find it hard to feel where my little papilla goes down, since I'm not exactly looking in a mirror when I'm pikkin'. That would require a lot of manual dexterity, wouldn't it?

What's funny too is the illustration doesn't show the waterpik tip actually touching the gums. How do you go by feel and run it along when you don't actually touch the gums? I guess I should use The Force?

Help. Also, is there an answer for whether it is harmful to use a waterpik when it comes to the appearance of dark triangles?