Abstract: A hand-operated appliance for body care by means of an intermittent liquid jet, in particular for massaging the gums and for cleaning the teeth, has a liquid pump which comprises a working chamber connected to an outlet fitted with a spray nozzle, a piston reciprocated therein by an electric motor, an inlet chamber connected to an inlet pipe fed from a liquid reservoir, and an inlet valve located in the connecting aperture between the inlet chamber and working chamber. The inlet valve is biased towards the open position by a spring the force of which is less than the pressure exerted during the working stroke of the piston and tending to close the valve. The liquid reservoir is connected by the inlet chamber of the pump to an ascending pipe acting as an air-vent pipe which is arranged vertically, is open at the top and is branched from the inlet chamber.