Direct irrigation and subgingival plaque

The aim of this study was to compare the penetrability of periodontal pockets by two direct irrigation techniques. By use of a syringe and a blunt hypodermic needle, irrigation was performed with a disclosing solution either as the level of the gingival margin or 3 mm within the pocket. The latter, “deep” irrigation, was shown to be an effective method of reaching the apical plaque border in both shallow and deep pockets. It is suggested that deep irrigation may prove a suitable approach to the effective control of subgingival plaque.