Water Picks/Oral Irrigator

[ClockworkOrange]

I have never heard of such a thing, until my partner mentioned them today!

So, can anybody offer advice, are these worth having, are they safe to use?

Perhaps you can recommend specific makes that you use yourselves?

Look forward to any comments, good or bad.

Cheers.

[Miranda]

http://www.waterpik-store.com/detail/WAT+WP-60

I own the classic version that is shown in this link above.

I own a Sonicare toothbrush (said to be the best electronic toothbrush) and floss... and the WaterPik will still get out things those two things can not. Especially meat.

Now I have * $ a $ lot $ * of dental work in my mouth. Thus all my tools are worth it to protect my investment.

Like string floss, it does take some getting used to. You can have some gum bleeding from the WaterPik until things toughen up. Which is actually a good thing. Strong tough healthy gums hold your teeth in your head for life.

My classic machine has a high and low setting. So that helps as you are getting used to the water pressure. And personally I think slightly warm water (vs pure cold out of the sink tap) is more comforatble to use.

Hope that helps.

[indysteel]

I used one when I had my braces (and frankly I should continue to use it). It is effective for removing plaque and debris and is more effective than floss There are better and worse ways to use it. It should be used gently. Don't aim it so that you end up driving things down into your gums. My model has a setting that allows you to regulate the force of the water from one to ten. To me, that's better than just high and low.

[ClockworkOrange]

Many thanks, exactly the help and information I was hoping for.

Now to pass this on to my partner but by the time he decides which to get, he will probably be wearing dentures by then!!!

[Red Rock]

Not only does TE encourage/enable the n + 1 rule when it comes to bikes...but crazy things like this to keep your mouth healthy. I went out and purchased one today after reading this thread.

As I have become older, I now have two crowns and a root canal. (I never thought I would have any of these when I was in my 20's.) I certaninly do not want any more work done on my mouth, that is for sure. Not only that, a friend of mine has dentures. The thought of that really scares me.

My first husband was a dental tech by trade, so he knew all about making crowns, bridges and things like that. I used one when he and I were married but have not since. I have been a regular flosser and all other good habits. I hope this tool willl be good for my mouth as well.

Thanks for the encouragement Clock and others.

To clean and healthy teeth.

Red Rock

[indysteel]

Good on you Red Rock! I really need to dust mine off. One of the biggest reasons I got braces at age 37 is that my teeth were too crowded in a lot of places to floss effectively. Well, that's fixed, but now I have the opposite problem in that I have a couple of larger spaces between a some back teeth where food really likes to get stuck. A water pik would help.

Root canals are awful or so I hear, but what's even worse--according to both of my parents--is the treatment for peridontal disease--and that's really what a water pik will most help with. And peridontal disease is linked to heart disease, so it's just bad all the way around.