What would you go for? Water Flosser or Regular Flossing?
In some section these two terms are often conflated but there is a clear distinction. Regular Flossing involves using a slender string to get in-between teeth to remove any food debris. You gently move the string to scrape any plaque at the root of your teeth or under the gum-line. Most dentists recommend flossing in addition to brushing your teeth twice a day.
Water flosser on the other hand uses water pressure to blast plaque away. It also in the process also massages the gums to enable blood to circulate evenly which keeps them healthy. The water pressure is generated by a gadget that jets water into the crevices of your teeth. Would you rather opt for a waterpik toothbrush combo? You can also buy them at highly discounted prices on cyber Monday.
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Review of Traditional Flossing vs Water Picking
Flossing has its place. It is quick, affordable, accessible and effortless, that is why it is still recommended by dentists in addition to water picking and brushing your teeth.
Advantages of Flossing
- It’s cheap and efficient in what it does (ridding your teeth of food remnants and removing plaque).
- You can use it anywhere. This is good as you can remove any embarrassing food debris as and when you need to do so.
Demerits
- Aggressive flossing can cause bleeding
- Flossing does not reach inaccessible areas in your mouth
- It can cause sensitivity to the gums
Flossing is not to be underestimated because when done correctly and regularly, it will keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Merits of Water Flosser
As already pointed out, water picking uses electric-powered machines like Waterpik to jet out water at high pressure. These pressure jets of water wash away any food remains and any plaque which might be building.
- Water picks are more effective than traditional string flossers.
- They can be used on people with any dental work.
- They can easily access hard to reach areas
- They massage the gums which ultimately improves the health of your gums.
Demerits
- They are bulky and not convenient to use in comparison to string flosser.
- They require quite some space if you go for the desktop model.
- You need electricity to power them up/recharge.
- They can be expensive and therefore out of reach for some people
Verdict
Water flossing is essential because it is convenient, easy to use and readily accessible. It is a good idea to floss every time after eating. Water picking is more effective when it comes to removing plaque and improving the health of your gums. As always for good oral health, you should floss, use water picking in addition to brushing your teeth as recommended by dentists.
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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 2024-09-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API