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.