f you want to keep your gums healthy and your teeth white and strong through your entire lifetime, you need to practice good oral hygiene, each and every day. That means twice daily brushing and at least once per day flossing.
Even if we don’t always remember to do it, flossing is an important part of our daily routine. Floss gets to places between your teeth and in the spaces between your teeth and gums your toothbrush can’t reach. But is dental floss your only option?
Unfortunately, according to the American Dental Association, a surprisingly high percentage of adults don’t clean correctly the space between their teeth. In fact, an ADA survey found that only 40% of adults floss daily, and a shocking 20% never floss at all.
Most dentists agree that oral irrigators – also called Water Flossers are excellent as a supplement to regular dental hygiene. They’re certainly a superior alternative to doing nothing. Using a WaterJet flosser is quick, simple, and most importantly, fun. Start on the gentlest setting. Many people say it feels a little weird at first, but you’ll get used to it. There are many plastic tips you can fit on your WaterJet Flosser to change the angle and spray of the flosser.
WaterJet Flosser have 3 to 6 settings, link to the model, that controls the water pressure and pulsation of the water spray. Whether or not you have crowns, bridges, implants, or sensitive gums, there is a setting that is perfect for you.
Water flossing is effective at removing biofilm (thick layers of plaque) along your gums and teeth. It can also dislodge stubborn food debris stuck between odd places.
Water Flossers have also several advantages and benefits over traditional hygiene and string floss
TOP BENEFITS OF WATERJET FLOSSER
01. It removes plaque and biofilm
Three-second application of water flossing with the Standard Jet Tip at medium pressure removed 99.9% of plaque biofilm from the treated area. The hydraulic forces produced by a Water Flosser with 1,200 pulsations per minute can remove biofilm1 Many other studies conducted during the past decade that evaluated plaque removal with a traditional whole mouth plaque index have also demonstrated better plaque removal from using a Water Flosser.2,3
02. It reduces the inflammation
Studies have shown that people who add the Water Flosser to daily self-care do better at reducing bleeding and gingivitis than people who don’t use the Water Flosser.
03. It reduces the periodontal infection
One of the primary benefits of the Water Flosser is that the pulsating action creates a compression/decompression phase that expels subgingival bacteria from the pocket.
Compared to both tooth brushing and mouth rinsing with 0.12% chlorhexidine, only water flossing reduced subgingival bacteria
04. It cleans better deep pocket than string floss
Findings indicate that using the Water Flosser with the Classic Jet Tip results in penetration of approximately 50% of the depth of the pocket. The depth of penetration may vary depending on the depth of the pocket with the deepest penetration often occurring in the deepest (>7 mm) pockets. Best result for deep pocket is done when using the Perio Jet Tip that delivers the solution to 90% of the depth of a pocket <6 mm and to 64% of the depth of a pocket >7 mm.5 Dental Floss reaches only about 3 mm due to technique .
05. It is safe and gentle for implants
Implants maintenance is critical for their long-term survival. A three-month study that compared water flossing with 0.06% CHX delivered with the Pik Pocket™ Tip to rinsing with 0.12% CHX found that those who used the Water Flosser had superior reductions in plaque (29% vs. 9%), bleeding (62% vs. 33%), and gingivitis (45% vs. 10%) over rinsing
06. It is the most efficient for cleaning around orthodontic appliances
Brushing and flossing dental braces can be a challenge because braces can also trap food particles and bacteria easily. Water Flossing makes it easier. Adolescents age 11 through 17 who used a Water Flosser with the Orthodontic Tip every day for four weeks had three times the reduction in plaque vs. those who used a manual brush and floss and five times the reduction than those who only brushed. The Water Flosser group reduced bleeding by 84.5% from baseline, which was 26% better than brushing and flossing and 53% better than tooth brushing alone.
07. It is easy to use
Using the Water Flosser is easier than string flossing because it requires less manual dexterity. It takes about a minute to cleanse the entire mouth and all you need is water, although Water Flosser can accommodate most mouth rinses ( rinse the unit after uses of Mouthwash) . Children as young as 6 with supervision can start to use a Water Flosser
08. It helps people with diabetes
People with diabetes tend to be at greater risk for periodontal disease and often have more severe gingival inflammation. People with periodontal disease tend to be at greater risk for diabetes. A study on people with diabetes found that those who used the Water Flosser for three months had a 44% better reduction in bleeding and a 41% better reduction in gingivitis over those who did not use the Water Flosser.7
09. It is clinically proven and evidence-based
Water Flossers have been evaluated in many studies during the last decades and Water Flossers are more effective at reducing bleeding and gingivitis than string floss.
Clinical findings for reducing bleeding and gingivitis, implant maintenance are also supported by many positive outcomes from more than 20 clinical trials, many of six months duration. The American Academy of Periodontology notes in its review that the greatest benefit from water flossing “is seen in patients who perform inadequate interproximal cleansing.”
LINK REFERENCE
1. Ultrastructural examination of human periodontal pockets following the use of an oral irrigation device in vivo.
Cobb CM1, Rodgers RL, Killoy WJ.
J Periodontol. 1988 Mar;59(3):155-63.
2. Comparison of Irrigation To Floss As An Adjunct To Tooth Brushing: Effect On Bleeding, Gingivitis and Supragingival Plaque
Barnes CM1, Russell CM, Reinhardt RA, Payne JB, Lyle DM.
3. The efficacy of oral irrigation in addition to a toothbrush on plaque and the clinical parameters of periodontal inflammation: a systematic review.
Husseini A1, Slot DE, Van der Weijden GA.
Int J Dent Hyg. 2008 Nov;6(4):304-14. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-5037.2008.00343.x.
4. Mechanism of irrigation effects on gingivitis.
Chaves ES1, Kornman KS, Manwell MA, Jones AA, Newbold DA, Wood RC.
J Periodontol. 1994 Nov;65(11):1016-21.
5. Subgingival delivery by an oral irrigation device.
Braun RE1, Ciancio SG.
J Periodontol. 1992 May;63(5):469-72.
6. Effect of a dental water jet with orthodontic tip on plaque and bleeding in adolescent patients with fixed orthodontic appliances
Naresh C. Sharma , Deborah M. Lyle
7. Comparative evaluation of adjunctive oral irrigation in diabetics.
Al-Mubarak S1, Ciancio S, Aljada A, Mohanty P, Ross C, Dandona P.
J Clin Periodontol. 2002 Apr;29(4):295-300.
8. Position paper: The role of supra- and subgingival irrigation in the treatment of periodontal diseases.
Greenstein G; Research, Science and Therapy Committee of the American Academy of Periodontology.
J Periodontol. 2005 Nov;76(11):2015-27.
9. The Effect of Different Interdental Cleaning Devices on Gingival Bleeding
Nanning A. M. Rosema1 , Nienke L. Hennequin-Hoenderdos1 , Claire E. Berchier1 , Dagmar E. Slot1 , Deborah M. Lyle2 and Godefridus A. van der Weijden1 1 Department of Periodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam ACTA, University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and 2 Water Pik Inc, Fort Collins, CO, USA
