The Irrigator Overview: One Motor, One Handle, and Interchangeable Nozzles

What irrigators offers us in the market of household and medical equipment? The circle of manufacturers of these devices is quite narrow, from very well-known to the general consumer companies can be distinguished Panasonic, which produces individual oral irrigators, and Braun, which produces in collaboration with the famous dental expert Oal-B so-called “dental centers”, which include an electric toothbrush and irrigator – both with interchangeable nozzles.

Who lives in the market?

American company Waterpik Technologies and its brand WaterPik are not so well known to Americans, but it is one of the world leaders in the production of irrigators. The range is very different models – from solid, with multiple water speeds and pressure modes, to literally “pocket-sized” options that easily fit into a small bag.

There are several other manufacturers: Donfeel Taiwan and Bremed Italy with devices of the same name, the company Little Doctor International Singapore with irrigators brand Aquajet and Evident-WHS with models under the Evident brand China, Italy .

Almost all of these companies do not just produce and sell irrigators, but in general specialize in dental equipment and medical supplies, have a scientific development in the field of dentistry and oral hygiene.

What irrigators are?

According to the principle of operation, these devices can be divided into those operating on a power supply and those connected to the water supply. About the latter it is worth saying very little: they are easy to use and inexpensive, but when using them, you may encounter certain difficulties.

First of all, the water pressure in the water supply is not always strong enough to create the necessary pressure of the jet.

Secondly, you need to be confident in the sanitary purity of water, especially if there are any inflammatory processes in the mouth.

In addition, in such a device it is impossible to use disinfectant solutions, which are often recommended by doctors.

More convenient and reliable than irrigators, working from the network and replaceable batteries. The main parameters influencing the quality of work, durability of such a device and its cost are:

Type of device: it can be a stationary device mounted to the wall, for which you need to find enough space in the bathroom most models from WaterPik and Braun-Oral-B, or portable travel irrigator, which is convenient to use not only at home but also on trips, and in an acute need – in guests, restaurants, at work – enough to go to the bathroom.

The reservoir for liquid in irrigators of this type can be built into the handle for example, in the models Waterpik WP-360 and Panasonic EW-DJ40 and EW-DJ10 .

These appliances run on either rechargeable batteries or rechargeable batteries and have a battery charger. In this case, when buying, it is better to clarify the battery life and the time required for charging, as well as the presence of a charging indicator.

The calculation is simple: one treatment of the oral cavity takes approximately 40 seconds. If you use the device three times a day – after each meal – you get 120 seconds or 2 minutes. Thus, a 15-minute battery life is enough for a week.

Possibility of individual or family use only. Up to four nozzles are available, making it suitable for the whole family.

The principle is the same as with electric toothbrushes: one motor, one handle and interchangeable nozzles marked in different colors, allowing each member of the family to use the device individually.

Number of delivery speeds or water jet pressure modes and maximum possible pressure measured in kPa . The minimum pressure can be around 200-300 kPa and the maximum pressure between 600-800 kPa.

Availability of additional nozzles: for example, for deep cleaning of gingival pockets they have a longer and narrower spout , for cleaning the tongue, for cleaning braces.

The capacity of the reservoir for the liquid poured into the device. In travel devices it is most often 165 ml the amount needed for one treatment , in stationary devices – 400-600 ml.

Availability of safety system – protection against pump overheating and overload.

There’s more?

Some models of irrigators are equipped with additional features, which can be seen as a pleasant, but not determining the quality of the device.

For example, Panasonic equips some of its models with two pumps, a water pump and an air pump, and offers two modes of action: water or water-air jet.

In addition, the company uses a technology of saturating the water jet with micro bubbles of air. In the device BD-7200 from Evident uses ozone technology for additional disinfection of the oral cavity bacteria and viruses contained in the water, due to the ozone decompose .

The pulsating mode is not positioned as a special achievement any more and can be found in many models the standard values are 1400-1600 vibrations per minute .

How much does it cost and where to buy it??

In a usual drugstore or home appliance store you can’t always find such a device, not the first you’ve seen. Irrigators are sold in large pharmaceutical pavilions for example, on the All-America Exhibition Center in New York , large pharmacies, but the largest choice can be found in online stores, among which there are those specialized specifically on this technique.

Price depends primarily on the brand: devices less well-known brands are one and a half to two times cheaper than the irrigators of world leaders. The latter have a large number of modes for example, ten speeds in one device and nozzles four basic, the same amount for the tongue, one for braces, etc. . d. , but, as in any technique, it increases the cost and does not always make the device better: three or four speeds are not worse than ten: rather, you should look at the maximum and minimum of their values.

Devices for individual care cost from 2500 to 4500 Dollars, family centers can be found on sale for 3500-5500 Dollars, models with electric toothbrushes can cost up to 6800 Dollars.

If you take a virtual acquaintance with the various devices, you will come to the conclusion that their sale is also associated with a profitable business of consumables: nozzles and liquids for irrigators. And if you are going to buy the first ones as the need arises, then it is worth to deal with the second ones in details.