Can I use a Waterpik instead of Regular Floss?
Can I use a Waterpik instead of regular floss?
If your Winter Park dentist has advised you that a better job at flossing will decrease your chance of cavities or buildup – you might be wondering if a Waterpik, generally known as a “water flosser,” can be used instead of regular dental floss.
In short, our dentist does recommend water flosser devices, but only in addition to regular flossing. She does not recommend that a water flosser or “Waterpik” replace traditional flossing. Unfortunately, some areas can not be effectively cleaned without floss.
The one significant advantage of water flosser devices is the ability to get where traditional floss can not or is too difficult to reach. Most commonly, this may be for patients in braces, wire retainers, dental bridges, and dental implants.
What is a water flosser?
The most popular brand name is “Waterpik,” which is generally called a water flosser. It uses pressurized water that is gentle enough not to harm your mouth to remove food and other debris that can become lodged between your teeth or other tight areas. This prevents the area from building up plaque and bacteria, which can lead to tooth decay or infections.
The effective end of the water flosser is the tip, which shoots the stream of water in a specific shape, size, and strength. Most devices have changeable tips that help reach specific angles or conditions, like braces versus bridges. The other significant portion of the water flosser is the reservoir, which can also be filled with mouthwashes to provide extra protection. If you consider in your water flosser, please consult your owner’s manual to confirm it is safe.
Should I use a water flosser?
There are a few considerations when it comes to augmenting your daily routine with water flossing:
If you have a higher sensitivity to cold or pressure, perhaps due to gum recession or in need of active dental treatment, it may be uncomfortable to use a water flosser as pressurized water will be touching your sensitive areas. However, regular brushing, flossing, and use of the water flosser will help prevent further decay or additional recession. Therefore, it may still be advisable to use a water flosser. One tip is to avoid using cold water as it can trigger sensitivity; in this case, you can use lukewarm, room-temperature water or warm water from your tap.
If you have difficulty using traditional floss due to dexterity or other accessibility issues, we recommend a water flosser as an alternative to flossing. In this way, a water flosser is still better than not flossing at all. There are also particular models with a rechargeable battery, which can increase the usefulness for patients who cannot floss with traditional floss.
If you have braces, retainers, or dental bridges requiring a “floss threader” to push traditional floss through the teeth, a water flosser can be nearly a necessity. We find floss threading so inconvenient for our patients that they end up not cleaning the area at all. In these cases, a water flosser can be effective in at least cleaning the area sufficiently until the next regular six-month visit to your Winter Park dentist.
While a water flosser is good at pushing away food particles and other larger debris, it cannot mechanically “scrape” away any plaque like traditional floss does. When properly flossing, it’s essential to give the floss a bit of a curve around the tooth so it “wraps” the side of the tooth and can reach where your toothbrush can not.
Ultimately, a water flosser is an excellent tool for daily dental care. However, it does not serve as a complete replacement for traditional flossing. Regular floss is sufficient for everyday use for most patients without elevated dental needs. However, a water flosser can provide cleaning and mouthwash application in specific areas if you want extra prevention. For patients with braces, retainers, dental bridges, or other dental work that must be maintained well, we recommend a Waterpik or equivalent water flosser to help keep the teeth and dental restorations as clean as possible between your dental visits.
If you are worried regular flossing habits aren’t enough for you or are finding it too difficult to use regular floss, please schedule an appointment with us, and we will be happy to give you specific recommendations on how a water flosser or regular flossing would be best for your specific situation.