Impacts of Oral Irrigation in Orthodontic Patients

Prior to GCF (gingival crevicular fluid) sampling, supragingival plaque was removed by sterile curets and, after air drying, the surfaces were isolated by cotton rolls. Filter paper strips (periopaper, proflow Inc., Amityville, NewYork, USA) were placed in sulcus for 30s. Care was taken not to avoid mechanical trauma and strips contaminated with blood or saliva were discarded. The absorbed GCF volume was estimated by a calibrated instrument (periotron 8000, proflow Inc., Amityville, NY, USA). Then, the strips were sealed into sterile tubes before freezing at -80 0C. The readings were converted to an actual volume (μl) by reference to the standard curve.