Thinking of getting a Waterpik

[Emmauk]

Hi all

I am getting braces fitted soon and hadnt even heard about the Waterpik until i came onto this site.

I asked my surgeon about how i floss once i have my brace fitted and he said simple you dont - this concerned me as we have a lot of Periodontal disease (Receeding gums) in our family my auntie lost her teeth in her early 40's and my cousin has just been told she also has it my dad has it too so i currently floss twice a day to try and prevent this incase i have also inherited it.

My teeth are very close together to the point that even the smallest TeePee cant fit inbetween them - do you think the waterpik would still be worth having or would it not work between the tight space?

Any advice greatfully received.

[Snowglobe32]

I am very concerned that your ortho said "you don't floss", that is crazy.

We have another thread that has been pretty active, I think it is called "Waterpik Ultra Dental Jet" Check that out for more information.

I bought my waterpik about 2 months into having braces. While it is not a substitute for flossing, it does get stuff out of the hard to reach areas.

Flossing in braces is not hard, just a bit more time consuming. You have to thread the floss under the wire. I tried a floss threader and I found it to be alot easier to not use one.

My normal nightime routine is to floss, waterpik, brush, then use mouthwash. I love the waterpik! I have found that since I now have a powerchain, I get globs of toothpaste stuck between teeth and on the brackets, the waterpik helps to get that out.

My waterpik has 6 different attachments/heads:

2 Standard Jet tips- provides a steady stream of water
1 tongue cleaner- used once or twice
1 ortho tip- has bristles that help clean around the brackets
1 toothbrush- isn't as good as my Sonicare toothbrush, very similiar though plus I like brushing with stream of water.
1 pik pocket- this is a small tip that gets under the gums - will be great for you.

There are 10 different settings, 1 being the lowest, 10 the highest. I think my ortho recommends using the lowest setting.

I bought mine at Walmart for about $50-60. I would highly recommend buying one.

Good Luck!

[ashesgap]

I got the RediBreeze from Dentakit.com and i love it. I hate brushing everytime i eat, so i use the Breeze and everything gets cleaned of my braces. Even things like spinach, peaches and rice.
But you should not stop flossing, thats just crazy. My ortho said if i wanted i could even do top one night, and bottom the next. But i got a little mirror and i sit in front of the tv with a dinner tray and floss while watching one of my shows, top and bottom every night. The floss threaders are very helpful. After a while you get good at it, and its not a big deal.

[leannaaker]

Yes to the Waterpik!!!

But absolutely keep flossing. After about 8-9 days being braced, I have tried all kinds of flossing devices. K.I.S.S. The floss with the threading end on it already (Crest Glide Floss) is my fav.

It does take longer, but you can definitely wrap the floss around your teeth and do what you used to do. Just plan on spending a bit more time on your oral hygiene.

Personally, I Waterpik and brush after every meal, and additionally, I brush and floss before bedtime. You'll find something that works for you.

[kilikena311]

Definitely keep flossing. You can buy floss with a stiff end, thread that under your archwire, and floss between the teeth that way. Or you can buy floss threaders which are sort of like a plastic needle that you thread the floss through and then you do the same I mentioned above, just thread that under the wire and floss like normal. Superfloss is OK, but it has a spongy part that can get tangled up if you have any wire ties or springs, Glide Threader Floss is my favorite, even if it's more expensive.