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The American Dental Association says a water flosser with the ADA seal of approval can eliminate the plaque. That’s the plaque that turns into tartar and leads to cavities and gum disease. But some studies show that water floss doesn’t remove plaque as well as regular floss.
Flossing is an essential component to maintain excellent dental hygiene. But many of us avoid flossing because it takes too long, it feels uncomfortable, the string breaks, and so on. However, not flossing can lead to severe gum disease, which in turn can lead to health problems.
Flossing daily ensures healthy oral hygiene by removing bacteria and plaque that toothbrushes cannot reach. This rule does not apply to patients with braces, fillings, and other dental work, as traditional floss puts more stress on the teeth than water floss.
Let’s dive into it.
1. What is a water flosser?
A water flosser or water jet is a device that uses jets of water to clean between your teeth. These jets of water interact with the saliva in your mouth to remove food, bacteria, and plaque. The water jets are usually strong. They shoot water, and when they hit the debris, they vibrate. The motion loosens the food, bacteria, and plaque stuck between your teeth and then flows through the attached section of a flosser to clean your teeth. There is now a good deal of water jet flossers to choose from. Here is a look at the different types of water jet flossers. Dental Flosser: Dental Flosser is a popular type of water flosser in use for many years. It is often marketed under names like Waterpik.
2. Why use a water flosser?
A water flosser fits in your hand or your mouth. It allows you to clean the spaces between your teeth more efficiently than regular floss and more quickly than traditional manual methods. And with water, you can do more at once. This way, you reduce bacteria and plaque that builds up in your mouth, as well as foods that can block your teeth. And using a water flosser takes you less time than traditional methods. The water floss is passed between your teeth, and the mechanism of the floss loosens the food debris. Then the water floss swirls the water around your teeth and reduces the plaque. The ADA recommends using regular floss with soft bristles and a plastic handle or electric floss. A Waterpik Slim Flow combines both, a soft bristle floss with electric floss technology.
4. Water floss vs. conventional dental floss
Water flossers use a design that alternates the direction of water flow to vibrate the tiny hairs between the teeth and remove plaque. Conventional floss does not use this design and usually takes much longer to remove plaque. Consumer Reports says flossing can harm people with weak gums and hard-to-reach areas. However, dentists recommend flossing three times a day to remove plaque. Susan Schloredt from Consumer Reports says, “If a regular flosser is not specifically designed for certain teeth, it is likely to cause severe damage that can lead to serious dental problems later. ”
5. Less Abrasive Than Flossing.
Aggressive flossing or improper technique can cause you to cut your gums. Ouch! However, this is not true for water flossers.
Since water flossers work with water, they are softer on your gums, and you don’t have to worry about abrasion or cuts.
Cuts to your gum tissue are painful and leave an open wound in your mouth. These wounds make it difficult to eat and drink. But a Water Flosser doesn’t carry that risk.
6. Cleans Your Teeth Much More Thoroughly Than Floss
Wouldn’t it be nice to know that every time you floss, all the nooks and crannies of your teeth are sparkling clean? Using a water flosser makes this possible!
The stream of water deep cleans the pockets of tissue where bacteria build up. As the water moves in and out of each tissue pocket, it removes all bacteria.
This way, you no longer have to deal with dental problems, bad breath, or plaque stains on your teeth. If you want a natural, pearly white smile, using a water flosser is the answer!
7. Reduces Risk from Tooth Decay
Clinical studies show that bacteria is one of the leading causes of tooth decay. Therefore, it critical for you to make sure that your mouth and teeth always contain as little bacteria as possible.
Water flossers make it easy to keep your mouth and teeth bacteria-free to prevent the buildup of plaque and other foods that later cause cavities.
You want to avoid tooth decay at all costs, as this can lead to foul breath, abscesses, or decay of the inside of your teeth (pulp).
8. Helps You Floss Regularly
Since water flossing is more efficient and effective compared to traditional flossing, you are encouraged to floss regularly.
The idea of flossing will seem much more enjoyable and rewarding, which will encourage you to stick to a flossing schedule.
This is important because flossing is essential to keeping your teeth healthy and clean. By taking less than a minute to floss every day, you can be assured of healthy, strong teeth that will remain intact well into old age.
9. Works for Braces and Bridges
Braces and bridges make flossing much more difficult than it is. Many of us find it difficult to angle the floss and find a comfortable technique to properly clean our teeth through the hardware.
But with water flossers, this isn’t a problem because you don’t have to move a tiny piece of floss through each wire. Instead, you can floss your teeth in a matter of seconds!
If you’re not sure which water flosser will be ideal for braces or bridges, read further on this website or talk to your orthodontist for a recommendation.
10. Boost’s Gum Health
If you don’t floss, bacteria and plaque can build up on your gums and lead to inflammation, discomfort, and even gum disease.
By using a water flosser, you can not only clean your teeth thoroughly. This instrument also massages your gums. By massaging your gums, your gum tissue gets better blood flow. And this also stimulates the growth of new cells.
If you choose to floss, make sure your gums are always healthy. Remember that poor gum health can and will lead to gum disease, which unavoidably will affect your teeth.
Benefits of using a water flosser
Despite the mixed results, Dr. Mark Polin tells his patients that they have a greater chance of getting cavities if they don’t regularly remove plaque from their molars. He says a water flosser gets much closer than a traditional toothbrush and that cleaning twice a day protects the teeth longer. Polin says he first recommended it to his patients five years ago when they asked for it. Since then, Polin says flossing is the number one question he gets from patients, and he recommends a water flosser for people with sensitive teeth who need to brush more often and for those who say they don’t have time to brush as often as they should.
Conclusion
There has been debate about the long-term benefits of flossing since ADA first recommended it in 2012. It is still unclear whether flossing removes the plaque. The website ADA does not suggest that people stop flossing for teeth cleaning and other oral hygiene measures. Water flossing should only be used to clean teeth, clean between teeth, and occasionally care for gums. People should not floss in water to remove food and plaque because no material prevents tooth erosion. Talk to your dentist if you are considering water flossing. Your dentist can determine if water flossing is suitable for you.
I’m a General Dental Practitioner from Belgium living in the USA. I work Biotech Dental with my 20+ years of experience working in the dental industry and dealing with 1000’s patients, I hope to inform you and help you with my knowledge and the importance of dental hygiene.
