Getting braces is an exciting step toward a perfect smile, but it instantly turns your daily flossing routine into a complicated, time-consuming chore. Trying to thread floss under wires and around brackets can be frustrating, often leading to missed spots and increased risk of plaque buildup—which can leave you with white spots or gum issues when your braces finally come off.
This is where a Waterpik Water Flosser becomes your most valuable orthodontic tool.
Water flossers are highly recommended by orthodontists because they use a powerful, pulsating stream of water to effortlessly blast away food debris and plaque from those hard-to-reach areas—like under the archwire and between teeth—where traditional string floss often struggles.
To help you simplify your routine and protect your investment in a straight smile, this guide reviews the Best Waterpik Water Flossers for Braces. We focus on models that offer the critical features you need:
- The Orthodontic Tip: Waterpik’s unique tip designed specifically to clean around brackets and wires.
- Adjustable Pressure Settings: For a comfortable, yet effective, clean.
- Reservoir Size and Ease of Use: To ensure you can complete a full clean without constant refilling.
Let’s find the perfect Waterpik to make flossing with braces quick, easy, and incredibly effective.
1. The Essential Countertop Pick: Waterpik Aquarius (WP-660)
The Waterpik Aquarius is the most popular and highly rated model overall, making it the benchmark choice for anyone with orthodontic appliances. It provides the perfect balance of features, performance, and price.
The Aquarius is the reliable, full-size option that offers all the power and control you need for effective cleaning through the entire orthodontic journey.
The Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser priced under $100 is the top-rated countertop model and is widely recommended by orthodontists as the most effective alternative to string flossing for people with braces.
Best for Braces and Gum Health
- Precision and Pressure Control: Features 10 safe and effective pressure settings, which is crucial for braces users. You can start very low (Settings {1-3} to gently clean sensitive gums and hardware, then gradually increase the intensity as needed.
- Specialized Tip Included: The unit comes with 7 tips, which includes the essential Orthodontic Tip. This tip features a brush on the end to simultaneously remove plaque from around the brackets and wires while flushing debris with water.
- Extended Floss Time: The large, 22-ounce removable reservoir provides 90 seconds of uninterrupted flossing. This means you won’t need to stop and refill while meticulously cleaning around all your brackets.
- Massage Mode and Timer: Includes a dedicated Hydro-Pulse Massage Mode for improved gum stimulation, which helps keep gums healthy and reduce inflammation that often occurs with braces. The 1 minute timer and 30-second pacer guide you to floss the entire mouth evenly.
Proven Effectiveness
The Aquarius uses Precision Pulse technology and is ADA Accepted for safety and effectiveness, removing up to 99.9% of plaque bacteria from treated areas—making it significantly more effective than manual flossing for navigating orthodontic appliances.
2. The Portable & Convenient Pick: Waterpik Cordless Advanced (WP-560 Series)
If you need flexibility, have limited counter space, or need a dedicated flosser for travel, a cordless unit is ideal. The Cordless Advanced model is the top rechargeable choice.
The Waterpik Cordless Advanced 2.0 (priced around $\mathbf{\$69.99}$) is the best choice for braces users seeking a compact, rechargeable, and flexible water flosser for small bathrooms or travel.
Best for Portability and Convenience with Braces
- Compact and Travel-Ready: It is 75% smaller than countertop models and includes a micro-fiber travel bag and a water plug, making it perfectly suited for use on the go. It is also global voltage compatible.
- Rechargeable Power: Provides up to 4 weeks of flossing per charge, eliminating the need for cords on the counter. It features a modern magnetic USB charger for rapid power-ups.
- Waterproof Design: The unit is waterproof, allowing it to be used conveniently in the shower, which many braces users prefer for a less messy experience.
Key Performance Features
- Braces-Friendly Tip: Includes the necessary Orthodontic Tip among its 4 specialty tips, ensuring effective cleaning around wires and brackets.
- Pressure Settings: Offers 3 safe and effective pressure settings, giving you adequate power while ensuring the gentle pressure needed for sensitive gums around new orthodontic hardware.
- Plaque Removal: Like all Waterpik models, it is ADA Accepted and proven to remove up to 99.9% of plaque bacteria from treated areas.
Trade-offs
The primary trade-off for its compact size is the reservoir, which provides about 45 seconds of floss time, meaning you may need a small refill to complete a full flossing session.
Verdict: The Cordless Advanced sacrifices the fine control of 10 settings but offers incredible convenience and portability, ensuring you can stick to your flossing routine even while traveling.
3. The All-in-One Pick: Waterpik Sensonic Complete Care (CC-04)
This system is recommended if you are looking to replace both your traditional toothbrush and your traditional floss with high-power alternatives.
The Waterpik Sensonic Complete Carepriced under $200 is a comprehensive system that combines a high-performance Water Flosser and a Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush on one compact base. It’s the ideal choice for you if you want to replace all your manual tools with a single, high-tech solution.
Best for Complete Braces Care
- Dual Functionality: This system offers superior electric brushing and effective water flossing in one product, simplifying the entire oral hygiene routine which can be complicated by braces.
- Targeted Flossing: The water flosser component includes 10 pressure settings and a large, 90-second reservoir (like the Aquarius). Crucially, it comes with 5 specialty tips, including the essential Orthodontic Tip, designed to clean around wires and brackets.
- Customized Brushing: The Sensonic Electric Toothbrush provides 3 modes (Clean, Stain Removal, Gum Care), allowing braces wearers to use the gentler Gum Care mode to protect inflamed or sensitive tissue around the orthodontic.
- Convenience and Power: The base unit acts as the charging station for the toothbrush (providing 4 weeks of charge) and the storage for all the flosser tips, keeping your counter tidy while ensuring high-powered cleaning.
Proven Effectiveness
The Waterpik Sensonic is ADA Accepted and is clinically proven to be up to 3 times as effective as manual brushing and flossing combined, providing the intensive cleaning required to prevent decay and gingivitis during orthodontic treatment.
Verdict: This is the ideal comprehensive solution. The combination ensures you get superior cleaning from the toothbrush and highly targeted cleaning from the water flosser, all in one space-saving unit.
Waterpik Water Flosser for Braces – Buying Guide
The Waterpik Water Flosser is highly recommended by orthodontists for people with braces, wires, and other orthodontic appliances. It addresses the significant challenge of cleaning around all that hardware, which is nearly impossible with traditional string floss alone.
Here is a breakdown of the benefits, how it works with braces, and key tips:
Why Waterpik is Essential for Braces
Braces (brackets and wires) create a multitude of tiny crevices where food and plaque get trapped, dramatically increasing the risk of:
- Decalcification (White Spots): Permanent white or yellow marks on the tooth surface that appear when the braces are removed.
- Gingivitis and Gum Disease: Plaque buildup leads to inflammation and bleeding gums.
- Cavities: Bacteria thrive in the hard-to-reach areas around the hardware.
The Waterpik solves these problems by providing a powerful, yet gentle, solution:
- Superior Plaque Removal Around Brackets: Studies show that when used with the specialized Orthodontic Tip, a Waterpik can remove up to 3 times more plaque around braces than using string floss.
- Effortless Debris Removal: The pulsating jet of water can easily blast away food particles trapped between the wire and the tooth, which a toothbrush often misses.
- Gentle on Irritated Gums: The water stream is gentler on sensitive or inflamed gums than forcing string floss. The massaging action can also help stimulate and improve gum health.
- Speed and Convenience: Water flossing takes significantly less time than the painstaking process of threading floss under the archwire of every single tooth.
How to Use the Waterpik with Braces
Waterpik models often come with a special Orthodontic Tip (OD-100E), which is designed with a small, tapered brush on the end to help sweep away plaque while the water flushes it out.
Step-by-Step Technique:
- Fill the Reservoir with lukewarm water. You can also add a small amount of non-alcoholic mouthwash for extra freshness.
- Start on Low Pressure: If you are new to water flossing or have tender gums, always start on the lowest pressure setting and gradually increase it over a couple of weeks as you get used to the sensation.
- Lean Over the Sink: Keep your lips partially closed around the tip to prevent splashing, but allow the water to dribble out of your mouth into the sink.
- Aim at the Gumline: Start with your back teeth and place the tip at a 90-degree angle to your tooth.
- Focus on the Brackets: Gently pause at the base of each bracket and lightly brush the area with the tapered tip, allowing the water to flow around the bracket and through the wire.
- Trace the Gumline: Move the tip slowly along the gumline, pausing briefly between each tooth, working from the inside surfaces and then the outside surfaces.
- Complete the Mouth: Follow the built-in timer (if your model has one) or aim for at least the full two minutes.
Which Waterpik to Choose?
While most Waterpik models are effective, the main difference is between Countertop and Cordless units:
- Countertop Models (e.g., Waterpik Aquarius): Offer a large reservoir (less refilling) and up to 10 pressure settings, providing the most power and customization. Ideal if you have space on your bathroom counter.
- Cordless Models (e.g., Waterpik Cordless Advanced): Are smaller and rechargeable, making them excellent for travel, use in small bathrooms, or for children who may struggle with a corded unit. They typically have fewer pressure settings.
The most important factor is using the dedicated Orthodontic Tip and consistently incorporating the water flosser into your daily routine.
What to Consider When Buying Waterpik Water Flosser for Braces
Choosing the right Waterpik model is a crucial step in maintaining excellent oral hygiene with braces. While all Waterpik models use the technology, certain features are much more beneficial for orthodontic care.
Here are the most important factors to consider when buying a Waterpik Water Flosser for braces:
1. Orthodontic Tip Inclusion and Compatibility (The Most Important)
The effectiveness of the Waterpik for braces is largely due to the specialized tip.
- Look For: A model that either includes the Orthodontic Tip (OD-100E) or is confirmed to be compatible with it.
- The Orthodontic Tip: This tip has a tapered brush on the end, which is designed to sweep away plaque from the wires and brackets while the water jet flushes out debris from those tight, hard-to-reach areas.
- The Benefit: Using this specialized tip has been clinically proven to be up to 3 times more effective at removing plaque around braces than traditional string floss.
2. Type of Flosser: Countertop vs. Cordless
Your lifestyle and bathroom space will determine which design is best for you:
| Countertop (e.g., Aquarius) | Cordless (e.g., Cordless Advanced) |
| Water Reservoir: Large (90+ seconds of flossing) | Small (30–45 seconds of flossing) |
| Pressure Settings: Wider Range (up to 10 settings) | Limited (usually 2 or 3 settings) |
| Power : Stronger and more consistent | Moderate, may vary slightly |
| Size/Portability: Stationary; requires counter space and an outlet. | Highly portable; ideal for small bathrooms and travel. |
| Best For Braces : Recommended. Best power and capacity for a thorough daily clean. | Good for supplemental use, travel, or if space is extremely limited. |
Recommendation: For the best, most consistent clean throughout your entire treatment, a Countertop model is generally the top choice due to the larger water tank and greater pressure customization.
3. Adjustable Pressure Settings
When you first get your braces, your mouth and gums will be sensitive. You need a device that allows you to start gently.
- Look For: A wide range of pressure settings. Countertop models usually offer up to 10 settings, giving you extreme control.
- The Benefit: You can start at the lowest pressure to avoid soreness on tender gums and gradually increase the pressure as your mouth adjusts to the braces.
4. Tank Capacity (For Countertop Models)
With braces, cleaning can take longer because you need to pause and clean around every single bracket.
- Look For: A large reservoir (typically 22 oz in a standard Waterpik countertop model).
- The Benefit: A large tank ensures you can complete a thorough, full-mouth clean without stopping to refill the reservoir, which can interrupt your cleaning rhythm.
5. Extra Features That Help with Braces
- Pacer/Timer: Some models have a built-in timer (often a 30-second pacer and a 1-minute timer) to ensure you spend enough time cleaning all areas of your mouth. This helps prevent missed spots.
- Handle Control: A button or switch on the handle to turn the water flow on and off gives you better control and helps prevent splashing when moving the tip from one section of your mouth to another.
- Noise Level: Countertop models are generally louder than cordless models. If noise is a concern, a quiet cordless model might be preferable, though you’ll sacrifice water capacity and pressure range.
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Dr. Tom Bell has a PhD in Medical Anthropology. He has a keen interest in oral health topics and is the founder of dentalrave. He has been an oral health researcher and electric toothbrush enthusiast for over 10 years. Tom works with Awin and others in his research. When not talking about dental hygiene and gadgets, Tom likes spending time outdoors hiking.
Last update on 2025-11-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API