Metal Mouth Message Board

Ok, I broke down and brought a water pik tonight and wow! Flossing is so much quicker!! All the food stuck in my braces just comes blasting out!! Such a time saver!!

Best invention EVER!! (At least for those of us with braces.)

I can't live without mine. Considering a portable one. It's amazing how well they work.

The waterpik isnt meant to replace flossing, just another step in the process. I am the minority on here who prefers flossing but I use the little flossers and it takes no time at all.

[quote="SunshineRay"]The waterpik isnt meant to replace flossing, just another step in the process. I am the minority on here who prefers flossing but I use the little flossers and it takes no time at all.[/quote]

True, but the molars way at the back require some dexterity, dont they? Waterpiks are just brilliantly quick to get the job done. I used to brush two, three times a session and thought that was enough. Then I got the waterpik and even after two brushes, you still find all sorts of stuff coming out. Especially since in Malaysia a lot of our food contains chilli (dried, fried, blended, paste) and you get flakes sticking in your gums.

Now I cant believe so few people know about it/use it.

How is regular flossing better than WaterPik? I've read some places that Waterpik doesn't go under your gums, etc. But surely flossing can only go so far under the gums before you start to bleed? And surely if you run the waterpik along the gum line you would clean just as effectively as flossing?

Also what about your molars far behind? I think Waterpik (or similar products) trumps traditional flossing simply because it effectively cleans this area.

I LOVE the Waterpik. I'm considering getting a portable one because I really can't stand not to have it when I have to travel for work. My ortho prefers the Waterpik to the proximal brushes when you've had extractions. She loves the brushes for getting food out of there which is great but she has concerns about their impact on the gum tissue regrowth where the extraction was. I started using the Waterpik about a month before the braces and now I use it every night before bed. I use the flossing tip every day and a few times a week I use the braces tool to really get extra clean in between the powerchains and brackets. LOVE!

I'm going to need one of these. Do you get them from your Ortho's or order online?

I wonder if it will come with the package... probs not...

FoxPass wrote:How is regular flossing better than WaterPik? I've read some places that Waterpik doesn't go under your gums, etc. But surely flossing can only go so far under the gums before you start to bleed? And surely if you run the waterpik along the gum line you would clean just as effectively as flossing?

Also what about your molars far behind? I think Waterpik (or similar products) trumps traditional flossing simply because it effectively cleans this area.

Nothing beats the scraping action of floss against a stubborn deposit. And the waterpik has a tough time getting between teeth, which is where floss excels.

If your gums bleed when you floss, either you are flossing way to hard, or (more likely) you haven't been flossing often/well enough and your irritated gums are letting you know. Healthy and clean gums don't bleed or hurt.

I still use my waterpik daily since being debraced.

I have tested brushing in many ways, flossing first then waterpik, waterpik then flossing, just flossing or just waterpiking... I found that using both works best. So I waterpik, floss, waterpik, brush then waterpik again (to make sure all of the toothpaste is gone). Even though my braces are gone, food still gets trapped.

SJB1138 wrote:I'm going to need one of these. Do you get them from your Ortho's or order online?

I wonder if it will come with the package... probs not...

Im not sure where you are but I have seen them at walmart/target/etc. Mine was $50 and came with several attachments.

I've been considering one of these! I don't get my braces on (and just bottom for now + expander on top) until November, but I'm planning the items that are going to make my life easier. Is it really difficult flossing with braces?

After each meal I just take a glass of water and do a vigorous swish for 10-20 seconds, this clears 95% of the food out of the braces. The brushing takes care of the rest of the particles.

As far as flossing goes I came across these handy little tools called "P l a c k e r s Orthopick for braces". (photos below) After purchasing these little dudes my routine went from 15 minutes to 5 minutes as there is absolutely no floss threading involved.

Yeah...those look awesome but i doubt they get to the gums, as threading does. It seems to me the thread gets stuck at the wire?

Plumcore wrote:Yeah...those look awesome but i doubt they get to the gums, as threading does. It seems to me the thread gets stuck at the wire?

Perhaps the photo is not clear, but have a look at the design again--- the small arm fits between the tooth and the wire and gets just as far down in the gums as regular floss does. I personally have used these for 5 weeks now and they work awesome. Using threaders makes no sense !