Oral Irrigation

When cleaning out the buccal tube, a thin proxabrush can be used to reach this area. This is one example of repurposing an oral hygiene adjunct for a use contrary to its original intent. The buccal tube is fairly large and tends to harbor food, so the use of an oral irrigator in this area is highly recommended. The pulsing pressure of water can also be very therapeutic for tissues by stimulating circulation and decreasing inflammation. Studies have shown significant reductions of plaque and bleeding in orthodontic patients after 4 weeks of use.¹¹

Rubber Tip Stimulation

Recalling the properties of healthy tissue, a few terms should come to mind. Such as pink, knife-edged, and stippled. When interdental tissue is bulbous, it is necessary to stimulate the tissue to increase circulation and tighten up the tissue. The rubber tip stimulator is a great tool to succeed in performing this task. When placing the rubber tip stimulator into the interdental area, it is important to have the tip near the edge of the tissue and the proximal portion against the tissue. Imagine how the knife-edged tissue should look and lay the rubber tip parallel to the tissue to allow for blanching of the tissue when pressure is applied (Figure 6).

Figure 6.

Figure 6.