Has the Waterpik made Flossing a Thing of the Past?

Do you ever accidentally yank your dental floss through your teeth and hurt your gums?  Does your mouth bleed when you floss?  And do you find it difficult to maneuver your hands and fingers in your mouth while trying to properly clean the sides of your teeth?  Most people do.  Sometimes we wonder if we are doing more damage than good when we floss our teeth.

While string floss might largely be a thing of the past, interdental cleaning is not.  The surfaces of the teeth that touch each other (the sides of the teeth, or proximal surfaces) can begin to decay if they are not properly cleaned.  Filling cavities on a proximal surface can cause damage to the adjacent tooth, so it is imperative to clean between the teeth.  Floss is great at removing debris from exactly where the teeth meet, but it does not do a very good job keeping clean the gums or the interdental surfaces that do not touch.  The majority of people do not use correct flossing techniques, either.  So, what now?

The Waterpik is an interdental irrigation system that sprays a pulsing stream of water between teeth and at the gumline, as directed by the user.  This sprayer is able to gently flush out pockets of bacteria from between the teeth and in the gums without the harsh scraping of dental floss.  In studies, it has been proven that a Waterpik is undoubtedly better than floss at removing bacteria and plaque from the gum line.

A Waterpik is expert at:

• removing debris
• breaking up plaque
• washing out bacterial deposits
• reversing gingivitis

In cases where a person has dental problems, like gingivitis etc., floss can actually aggravate the problems. There have been cases where floss has pushed plaque and debris deeper into the gums or cavities and caused further damage. Floss is not a band-aid, it won’t erase a cavity. You’ll need to consult your dentist when you have a legitimate dental problem, to make sure you’re caring for your teeth the right way.

Good oral health cannot be overvalued.  And the addition of a Waterpik to your dental hygiene routine will augment your dental hygiene practices immeasurably.  Put down your abrasive floss and stop trying to force it into your gum line; the Waterpik is a much gentler and more effective way to assure that your mouth stays clean and healthy.