I will be the first to admit, even to my dentist, that I’m not great at flossing. That’s mostly because I have permanent retainers on the back of some of my teeth, which makes getting string floss into tiny crevices a real miniature Olympics moment in my mouth.
There are other reasons string floss might not be your best option, whether you have orthodontic devices or a disability and struggle with the fine motor skills required to floss. That’s what makes a water flosser so appealing.
Flossing, and flossing daily, removes plaque from between your teeth. Letting the bacteria build up puts you at risk for things like cavities and gum disease.
Nick Milanovich, PhD, who was previously a product developer in Oral Care at Colgate-Palmolive, and worked in Clinical and Scientific Affairs at Sonicare, calls water flossers “garden hoses for your whole mouth.”
Instead of threading string between your teeth, small volumes of high-pressure water irrigate your mouth and move loose food debris. That clicking sound you hear with string floss, though, is audio confirmation that you’re getting into some really tight spaces that a water flosser likely won’t reach and clean out.
“If a person can adopt using (string) floss, then go this route first,” says Milanovich, “and learn how to do it properly.” If this is not an option because of manual dexterity (or you just really hate string floss), a water flosser might be something to consider.”
I’m self-aware enough to know that I’m really bad at adopting string floss into my health hygiene routine. It’s hard with my forever retainers on the backs of my teeth, and the blood. A water flosser, on the other hand, seems more gentle, easier to adopt into my teeth-cleaning ritual, and better than nothing. It is often a more expensive route than string, and can be more messy.
We tested six water flossers, including ones from Waterpik and Sonicare. You know, in case you’ve been eyeing them, too >>>
Melanie, editor at Nessie Sightings
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