Has your dentist suggested using a water flosser to help you do a more thorough job flossing? Are you looking for a way to help keep your teeth clean and prevent dental problems or diseases? A water flosser is a great tool that can help remove bacteria and debris that have become stuck between your teeth and gums.
There are numerous models of water flossers available. To help you learn about the different benefits and features of some of the available options, we have reviewed five of the best water flossers in the sections below.
Top 5: Water Flossers Review
Product Image & Rating (Out Of 10) | Product Name | Price |
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The Waterpik is a well-trusted water flosser. It has been given the American Dental Association's Seal of Acceptance. This product is designed to make it easy to thoroughly floss between your teeth. When you use this unit, you'll be able to choose from 10 different pressure settings. The pressure range for it is from 10 to 100 PSI.
To help you achieve a perfect cleaning every time, this product includes seven different cleaning tips. You will receive three classic jet tips, a pik pocket tip, an orthodontic tip, a plaque seeker tip, and a toothbrush tip.
The water reservoir for this product is large and can hold enough water to allow you to clean your teeth uninterrupted for 90 seconds. There is an on/off switch on the handle for it to allow you to turn the water flow on and off as needed while you clean your teeth.
To allow you to find the perfect color to complement your bathroom décor, this product is available in seven different colors. You can choose white, blue, pink, orchid, gray, teal, or black.
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Cons
The Fairywill Water Flosser and Oral Irrigator is a cordless unit. You won't need to worry about a cord getting in your way or becoming tangled while you clean your teeth with this product. Since there is not a large base with this item, this is a good model to use for travel.
To accommodate different needs, this item offers three different pressure settings. One setting is designed for normal adult cleaning, one has less pressure for children, and one setting will pulse to massage your gums.
The water reservoir for this product is in its base. To use this item, you just need to fill the reservoir with water, choose your pressure mode, and turn on the unit. The reservoir holds enough water to clean your teeth for 45 seconds before it will need to be refilled.
To make this unit easy to charge when you are traveling, it has a USB port for charging. A one-year warranty is included with your purchase to protect you from any product defects.
Pros
Cons
The ABOX Dental Oral Irrigator is a product that will allow you to customize your cleanings. There are 10 different water pressures for you to choose from. This will allow you to find a pressure that is strong enough to clean well between your teeth, but not too powerful that it becomes painful.
To help you meet all your cleaning needs, this product comes with eight different attachments. There are three cleaning tips, a tongue cleaner, an orthodontic tip, a dental plaque tip, a periodontal tip, and a rotating toothbrush. The top of the product where the tips attach rotates to ensure optimal cleaning.
The lid for the reservoir flips open to store all the tips for this product. There is a sliding on/off switch on the flosser's handle so you can easily start and stop the product when needed. The water reservoir for this item has a 600 mL capacity. It features a 130-cm retractable hose to decrease clutter on your bathroom counter.
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If you are looking for a water flosser that would be easy to pack for vacations or business trips, then you should consider the MOSPRO Cordless option. Since this product doesn't have a bulky base or pesky cord to get tangled, it is a great option to toss in your suitcase before you head off for a trip.
The long battery life this product offers also makes it a great option for when you are traveling. You should be able to use this product for a week or more after a single charge. When your battery needs to be recharged, there is a USB port on this product, so you can just plug it in to let it charge.
To allow you to achieve a thorough clean, the nozzle of this product rotates. There are also three cleaning modes (soft, normal, and pulse) that you can choose from when you use this item. This product is waterproof, making it safe to use. It is also fully sealed to prevent leaks.
The water reservoir for this product is on its base. Unlike many other similar models, with this product you can fully open the water tank. This allows you to remove any limescale that may have built up along the sides of the tank after repeated use.
Pros
Cons
The iTeknic is designed to be a teeth-cleaning solution for the whole family. When you purchase this product, seven different cleaning tips are included. You will receive three classic jet tips, a dental plaque tip, and periodontal tip, an orthodontic tip, and a tongue cleaner.
This product offers 10 different water pressure options. The different settings will let you adjust the pressure between 30 and 125 PSI. You can set the pressure using a large dial on the base of the unit.
On the handle for the flosser, there is a button you can use to start or stop the flow of water. The handle is connected to the base by a flexible, one-meter long hose. The hose is plenty long enough to allow you to clean and maneuver the product with ease.
The water tank for this product has a 600 mL capacity. It will hold enough water to allow you to floss for three minutes at one time. There are suction cups on the base of this item to prevent it from sliding around while you are cleaning your teeth. This product comes with a one-year warranty to protect you from any malfunctions with the unit.
Pros
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water flosser Buying Guide
A water flosser is a great product that can help you give your teeth a more thorough cleaning than you'll be able to achieve by just using floss. They are easy to use and can have a big impact on your overall oral health and hygiene.
When you are looking for a new water flosser, there are a few factors you'll want to consider. First, you'll need to decide whether you want a corded model or a cordless model. Or, maybe you want one of each for use at home and for when you travel.
Next, be sure to pay attention to the various water pressure settings that are available. Some units offer 10 settings, while others (typically the cordless models), only offer three different settings.
You will also want to look at the capacity that is listed for the water reservoir on the unit. See how long you'll be able to floss your teeth before the reservoir needs to be refilled.
Finally, pay attention to the type and number of tips that come with your purchase. Other than the main flossing tips, do you think you'll take advantage of the other options that are offered with some products?
best water flosser
Out of the five different products that we reviewed, our top pick is the Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser. We think this is the best option for a few different reasons. It offers 10 different pressure settings, so you'll always be able to set it to the perfect pressure to meet your needs and thoroughly clean your teeth. This product also comes with seven different cleaning tips.
This product offers a larger reservoir than some other products. You'll be able to clean your teeth for 90 seconds before you'll need to stop to refill the reservoir. Finally, we like this product because it is stylish and there are seven available color options for you to choose from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Water Flosser Better Than Floss?
Many studies have shown that using a water flosser can be more effective than traditional flossing. When you use a water flosser, it is possible to remove more bacteria that is stuck between your teeth. They can contribute to better oral hygiene.
How Many Times a Day Should You Use a Water Flosser?
You should use it at least once every day. Check with your dentist, because they may recommend that you use it twice a day.
Can You Share a Water Flosser?
You should not share the tips that go in your mouth, but you can share the unit. Most products should come with more than one tip, and you can always buy extras, so you and others in your household can share the same flosser.
Do You Brush Your Teeth Before or After Using a Water Flosser?
It is normally recommended to use it before you brush your teeth. This is because the water flosser will loosen plaque and stuck-on food, which can then be removed when you brush your teeth. If you use it before you brush your teeth, it makes brushing your teeth more effective.
reasons to invest in a water flosser
The American Dental Association recommends that people clean the areas between their teeth and along the gum line, or perform what is known as "interdental" or "interproximal" cleaning, at least once a day to remove debris and plaque that can build up on surfaces both above and below the gums. By cleaning these hard-to-reach areas, you reduce your risk of dealing with tooth decay and gum disease and related painful and sometimes expensive treatments as you age. Although the most common interdental cleaning tool is traditional string dental floss, other more modern options such as water flossers exist that remove particles far more quickly and efficiently than string floss.
Water flossers, or dental water flossing units or spas, come in a wide range of sizes, styles and designs. Through different offline and online retailers, you can find both electric wired and battery-operated cordless water flossers that offer single- and multi-function features. Quality units usually cost less than $100, approximately $70 on average, but some consumers don't see the value in replacing traditional string dental floss with a large device that requires a high upfront investment.
Yet, there is little doubt in medical and scientific circles that water-based flossing offers people a variety of valuable benefits. People who can use these dental tools typically enjoy oral health that's superior to that known by people who use manual floss alone. Consider the following ways in which a wired or cordless water flosser can improve your teeth, gums and overall health:
1. Removes Hard-to-Reach Particles
Traditional string dental floss made of nylon or plastic filaments isn't textured, which means that it's impossible for the material to physically grab every particle it comes in contact with as you floss between and around your teeth. String floss also does a poor job between tightly packed teeth, at every edge of the gum line and at the back of hard-to-reach molars. A water flosser pushes a pressurized burst of water into these areas that easily dislodges food, sticky plaque and other particles before the debris can harden into mineral deposits like tartar or provide food to bacteria that create cavities.
2. Gently Cleans Oral Surfaces
When you use string floss, whether it's waxed or unwaxed, you can accidentally mishandle or lose control of the material and rake it too harshly against the gum line, which can cause open wounds that bleed and develop into dangerous inflammation or result in life-long gum sensitivity. String floss can also cut off circulation to your fingers and even damage tiny blood vessels and nerves in your hands over time when you twist the string too tight around your fingertips. Although pressurized water from a water flosser can cause slight initial bleeding as your gum tissues acclimate to it, the gentle water doesn't cause repetitive cuts like string floss and most flosser handles are ergonomic and easy to grip.
3. Strengthens and Invigorates Gum Tissues
As your gums toughen from repeated exposure to a water flosser, the pulsating, pressurized water actually performs a massaging action that promotes better blood flow within the tissues. Fewer bleeding wounds and healthier blood flow aid in gum tissue growth, which is important since gums don't regenerate naturally in the same way as other tissues in the body and recede permanently from damage and aging processes. The removal of most mineral deposit particles by the pulsating water before they can accumulate on teeth surfaces near the gum line means that your gums are also protected from a dental hygienist having no choice but to potentially damage the gums by picking harshly at hard deposits during biannual oral health exams.
4. Prevents Flossing-Related Pain
Beyond cutting the gums accidentally with string floss and causing pain, you can also experience teeth, jaw and head pain from nylon or plastic fibers becoming stuck between your teeth. If you're truly unlucky, the floss fibers break off into tiny, difficult-to-dislodge pieces that remain stuck for days or longer. With a dental water flossing unit, you never again have to deal with pain from these types of scenarios unless you decide to primarily use manual string floss for regularly daily cleanings and a water flosser for deeper weekly ones, which some people opt to do for different personal reasons.
5. Provides Safe and Natural Treatment
Nylon and plastic string flossing products and the wax used with many name brands are made from fossil fuel, petroleum, and the processes used to extract petroleum from the earth cause severe environmental damage. It's currently unknown if petroleum particles from fibers or wax or an added polytetrafluoroethylene coating used on some products can cause the biological harm associated with these substances, such as tissue inflammation, hormone disruption or nervous system damage. Additionally, other non-water methods to remove particles, such as metal dental and hard plastic picks, can damage the teeth and gums when used improperly.
6. Stops Most Additional Harmful Exposures
Toxins from string dental floss are definitely not the only harmful substances that can damage your oral and overall health. When you use string floss, you have to put your fingertips in your mouth, which means that you expose your mouth and any open wounds in the gums caused by overzealous brushing and/or flossing to dirt, bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms found on your skin and beneath your fingernails. A water flosser, especially one that you might set up with mouthwash instead of water, stops these exposures and prevents the infections and gum damage that can occur with them.
7. Reminds You to Clean Regularly
A water flosser mounted to a bathroom sink countertop isn't as easy to ignore or forget about as a small, string dental floss container that can disappear into a medicine cabinet or other bathroom cabinet drawer. Although small, portable dental water flossing products exist that fail to stand out as cleaning reminders, many people own separate, bigger counter models at home that feature large reservoirs designed to reduce the time they waste refilling their water flossers with water. Some water flosser manufacturers also offer apps that provide teeth cleaning reminders and even games designed to challenge users to take care of their oral health.
8. Works Best for Orthodontic Devices
There's no need for you to ever again waste time or experience extreme frustration and headaches trying to clean between the brackets of your braces and teeth with difficult-to-maneuver string floss. In addition, you don't have to use a tiny dental nylon brush between brackets or teeth at the gum line, which can cause permanent unnatural indentation of the gums and gaps that collect food particles. The pulsating water from a dental water flossing unit reaches every surface of your braces and teeth with ease in a matter of moments without putting too much pressure on brackets or any other orthodontic treatment pieces inside of your mouth, such as a Herbst or Forsus appliance, fixed metal retainer or resin bite ramps.
9. Protects Fillings and Other Restorations
If you have fillings, bridges, crowns, veneers or other types of dental restorations, you can break them or force them to fall out entirely by repeatedly tugging string floss too much around their edges or snagging it on sharp surfaces. Restorations are also normally difficult to clean along the edges because of how they're installed with thin gaps between the restoration material and the teeth and gums. A water flosser removes all tiny food and other particles from these areas, and some flossers even come with one or more special brush attachments to gently sweep the particles away so that they don't resettle in the grooves before you can rinse your mouth.
10. Works Around Health Problems
Flossing with string requires that you have excellent manual dexterity, mental patience, physical endurance and great eyesight to smoothly, accurately and painlessly slide the string against both sides of each tooth and along the gums. Most people have difficulty handling string floss properly, especially people with hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity problems from arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, muscle wasting and other illnesses. With a water flosser, you only need to be able to hold and shift slightly an ergonomic handle for approximately one to five minutes to thoroughly deep-clean your teeth.
11. Promotes Oral Health Awareness
The majority of people who use water flossers often think more about maintaining their oral health because they eventually associate the daily process of cleaning their teeth and mouths with positive experiences rather than with the negative ones commonly associated with hard-to-perform, repetitive cleaning via string floss. A positive experience every time you floss makes you more likely to brush and floss often and think about the importance of keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Water flossers that work with mouthwash also add an enjoyable element to the entire process that takes the boring mouthwash swishing action and turns it into a fun spraying one.
12. Saves Money Over Time
A water flosser purchase does involve a high upfront financial investment, but you ultimately save a lot of money in the long run. You don't have to buy string floss all of the time or worry about whether you're spending too much per square foot, and a cleaner removal of food, bacteria and other particles decreases the need for professional plaque and tartar removal, drillings and fillings and expensive surgeries related to tooth and gum damage. If you purchase a unit that offers you the option to switch out tips, your family can also save money by having everyone in it use the same machine.
Final Considerations
As you can see, a single water flosser can provide you and your loved ones with added value for years after your initial financial investment. You merely need to find a unit that provides you with a design and features that best match your needs. When researching a water flosser, keep the following in mind:
- The product that you pick should have a large reservoir unless you're using it during travel. Consider models that have a reservoir that can hold at least 22 to 34 ounces (650 mL to 1,000 mL) of liquid. The design should also include a tightly sealed lid to prevent debris like dust and hair from dirtying the liquid stored within the reservoir.
- Some water flossers also include an extra reservoir designed to spray a teeth-whitening treatment. It's typically located next to the water reservoir or inside of the handle. This special reservoir works with whitening tablets that dissolve in water or a liquid or gel solution.
- People tolerate different water pressures, which means that the best way to reduce pressure-related pain is to choose a design that offers multiple pressure settings. You and every member of your family can then find the pressure settings that work best for each person.
- A model that has a timer can help you remember to floss for the precise amount of time recommended by healthcare professionals (i.e. approximately one minute). It can also prevent you from over-flossing with water for longer than five minutes, which can damage your gums.
- Dental water flossing unit tips perform different tasks and include jet tips, orthodontic tips, plaque tips with bristles, flosser brushers, toothbrush tips, periodontal pocket tips and tongue scrapers. If you want to combine your brushing and flossing routines rather than perform them separately, look at models that offer a toothbrush tip in addition to the standard jet tip.
- A water flosser that offers a rotating tip option is better than a non-rotating one. The rotation can make it easier for you to hold and handle the flosser and distribute the water in hard-to-reach areas at the back of the molars.
- A unit with a massage mode that lasts approximately five minutes is best for gum treatment. The special mode usually changes the speed and pressure of the water pulses so that you experience a more gentle pulsing sensation that feels like a massage against the gums.
- The charge time for a water flosser varies on cordless models depending on the battery type. Although some models work with non-rechargeable AA batteries, you can go through fewer batteries with a model that accepts rechargeable ones.
- Not all cordless units are waterproof. That said, models exist that work in showers for people who like to combine beauty and health regimen tasks while in the shower.
- If you plan to travel abroad, it's best to look for a wired or cordless model that can be used with both 120-volt and 220-volt outlets. Never pick a model that only works with the international 220-volt outlets since plugging a 220-volt appliance into a 120-volt outlet without a special adapter can destroy the water flosser, damage the outlet and potentially cause a fire.
- Never choose a product that fails to have a satisfaction guarantee and a warranty that lasts up to three years. The satisfaction guarantee makes it possible for you to return the water flosser for a replacement or full refund even after the initial store return period ends. The warranty can provide you with free technical service, replacement parts or a new product during the warranty period.
As you search for a water flosser, it's also wise to read professional and customer reviews to determine if a specific product will be the right one for you. Once you pick a brand and model, compare prices for the product with different retailers online. Lastly, look for promotional codes, discounts and rebate offers to get the best possible deal.
Final thoughts
Now that you've read our reviews, it is time for you to take some time to decide which product is right for you. Be sure to weigh the pros and cons for the different options to help you make your final decision.
After you have determined which product you want to purchase, make your purchase right away. This way, your teeth can benefit from a thorough cleaning really soon!
