Just like an electric toothbrush is an easier way to clean your teeth than a manual brush, the main appeal of a water flosser, or oral irrigator as it is sometimes known, is its ease of use over manual floss. A water flosser is a handheld device that sprays streams of water in steady pulses. Water flossing is a way to clean between and around your teeth. The water, like traditional floss, removes food from between teeth.

The narrative on flossing and how regularly you ought to be doing it has been conflicting, but all dentists agree that some form of daily interdental flossing is essential for the maintenance of your dental health.

If you’re lacking in space between your teeth, flossing is especially necessary for eradicating the sticky film called plaque in areas your toothbrush simply won’t reach in your twice-daily two minutes in front of the bathroom mirror. That’s because brushing will only target the front and back of your teeth, neglecting the harder-to-reach sides. Water flossers are effective at removing plaque, which puts you at a higher risk for cavities and gum disease. Water flossers can also help reduce gingivitis, the early form of gum disease, throughout your mouth and between your teeth.

Water flossers are a great option for everyone but especially people who have trouble flossing by hand. Water flossers are particularly well suited to anyone undergoing orthodontic work involving attachments on their teeth, such as fixed braces or Invisalign, or permanent or fixed bridges.

Water flossers shoot out a thin, pressurized stream between the teeth, most have various pressure settings to tweak the force with which it comes out. Be patient, it might take a couple of uses before you find a pressure that’ll make the process feel natural. Similarly, water temperature is a variable that will alter the irrigation experience, lukewarm being recommended so as not to cause any unnecessary discomfort. A minute a day will do the trick.

Cleaning between your teeth once a day is an important part of your dental hygiene routine. You should also brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes and see your dentist regularly.

Drs. Joe Passaro and Woody Wooddell opened the doors to their dental practice in Davidsonville, MD in 1981. In addition to caring for their patients’ general dental health, Drs. Wooddell and Passaro provide expert restorative and esthetic dental solutions. Visit their website at www.wpdentalgroup.com or call 410.956.5555 for more information.

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