When it comes to dental care, the best treatment is prevention. The most significant thing you can do for your teeth and gums is to brush and floss daily. When you don’t stick to a regular care routine, harmful bacteria and debris can cause cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease.

Simple home care items that cost as little as a dollar per item and require just a few minutes a day can save you expensive operations and discomfort in your mouth. While brushing your teeth gets rid of the bacteria and debris on the surface of your teeth and gums, flossing reaches the hard-to-reach areas, completing the process. When combined, flossing and brushing can prevent cavities from occurring in the entire mouth.

The Flossing Dilemma

Though there are many benefits to regular flossing and brushing, many patients don’t follow their dentist’s recommendations. A recent study discovered that one-third of Americans don’t floss, while another third of the population flosses only once in a while. In an endeavor to make flossing easier and more convenient, oral care companies have made convenient tools such as disposable flossers and ribbon floss, which makes the task easier. However, another product has risen among the ranks to make flossing more enjoyable: the waterpik.

What is a Waterpik?

The waterpik, also known as a water flosser, is an excellent support for your brushing and flossing routine. It’s a device that shoots powerful sprays of water into your mouth to help loosen debris in hard-to-reach places like behind your back molars. It is especially useful for people with braces because the water can safely dislodge trapped food without damaging any wires or brackets.

The waterpik can be another step you take into your oral care routine, like brushing your tongue, to keep your mouth extra clean. It can be used in lieu of flossing. However, for the best results, people should use a traditional floss and then also use a waterpik.

Are Waterpiks as Effective as flossing?

No, they aren’t as effective as flossing. Waterpiks, also known as water flossers, are at most a great support for your oral care routine. They are helpful in giving you a finishing touch to your care routine, but they can’t remove plaque as well as solid floss. Think of it as a helpful tool that can even serve as a short-term substitute, but not a full replacement to flossing.

Waterpiks are highly effective at removing surface-level food and bacteria and can reach between your teeth like old-fashioned floss. If you have tight teeth or challenges flossing with regular floss (such as wearing braces), you may find that a waterpik is a more convenient option that is almost as effective. However, you should still try to use traditional floss whenever you can to get the best cleaning results.  Many people who don’t like flossing, prefer the Waterpik so it’s worth a try if you are not good at flossing.

Sometimes, there is no need to reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t hurt to get extra support. After all, it can’t hurt to add another line of defense against gum disease and cavities. They are also great for people who have challenges with traditional floss because they are quick, convenient, and easy to use.

Find Out About Waterpiks & More

All the home care in the world isn’t a substitute for a professional cleaning at your periodic dental check-up. When you want to make sure that your teeth and gums are in their best shape, you need to see the dentist.

Come and visit our practice for a consultation to find out the best way to take to care of your smile!