INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATOR ON THE SEVERITY OF INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES IN PERIODONTAL TISSUE IN PATIENTS UNDER ANTICOAGULANT THERAPY

Introduction. Anticoagulant therapy is prescribed for surgical interventions in the heart and blood vessels, atrial fibrillation, thromboembolism and thrombophlebitis of various etiologies, myocardial infarction, new coronavirus infection. This group of patients is characterized by a decrease in physical and social activity, and motivation to care about their own health. As a result, poor oral hygiene can cause gum bleeding, which is often mistaken for a side effect of the anticoagulant being taken. Without proper attention, the process risks moving into severe stages of the development of periodontitis, which has a direct impact on the course of cardiovascular diseases. Maintaining a level of personal oral hygiene is especially important. An additional tool, in addition to a toothbrush and toothpaste, is an irrigator - a device that creates a pulsating stream of water, which under pressure washes and removes food debris and soft plaque. Aim. To evaluate the effect of the irrigator on the severity of inflammatory processes in periodontal tissues in patients on anticoagulant therapy. Methodology. 30 patients were examined (15 using warfarin, 15 using new oral anticoagulants) according to the following criteria: complaints of bleeding gums, degree of gum bleeding according to Mullemann, hygiene index, objective periodontal index (OPI – patent No. 265521 of 2018). Signs were assessed by statistical methods before professional oral hygiene and after 1.5 months of using irrigators OMIO-350, OMIO-450, OMIO-560 to maintain personal hygiene and prevention. Results and its discussion. After using the irrigator, complaints of bleeding gums remained in 4 patients out of 16 examined. The average hygiene index decreased by 48.7%, the objective periodontal index decreased by 42.9%. In most patients, bleeding disappeared or decreased in intensity. Conclusions. The positive effect of irrigators, as an additional means of personal hygiene, on periodontal tissue and improvement of oral health in patients has been proven.