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Give your smile a makeover with these tried-and-tested water flossers
Making the switch to an electric toothbrush is one of the easiest ways to improve your oral hygiene but you may find regular flossing a tricky habit to keep up. Traditional dental floss can also be hard to use correctly, especially if you wear braces or have crowns, and it’s non-biodegradable, so, it’s not a great choice for the environment. That’s where water flossers come in.
Also known as oral irrigators, water flossers spray a high-pressure jet of water between your teeth to clean the spaces that brushing misses, and remove food and bacteria. This helps to keep plaque at bay, reduce the risk of cavities, help prevent gum disease, fight bad breath and, in some cases, whiten teeth.
“Water flossers can be a great option for people who have trouble flossing by hand,” says dentist Dr Rhona Eskander, co-founder of Parla and owner of Chelsea Dental Clinic. “People who have had dental work that makes flossing difficult – like braces or permanent or fixed bridges – might also like to try water flossers.”
Although they can take a little getting used to initially, it’s best to only switch on the device once the tip is inside your mouth, then keep it at a 90-degree angle to the gum line as you go, and always lean over the sink, as it can be messy.
They come with a refillable water tank, so you can spray as you work from the back teeth to the front, and may include extra features such as a massage feature for healthy gums; variable pressure settings; and even a tongue scraper. It’s worth looking for a flosser that comes with an orthodontic tip, too, if you wear a brace, or gentler settings or dedicated heads if you have implants, crowns or sensitive teeth.
We used these water flossers, one at a time, over several weeks, using each once a day on consecutive days. We considered how easy each was to use, how clean our teeth looked and felt and any extra features the water flosser offered. We also flossed our teeth with ordinary tape floss afterwards, to check how effective the water flosser had been. These are the ones that came out on top.
This was the priciest water flosser we tested but we really noticed the difference. The relatively slim handle meant it was also one of the easiest to use, even though it still had a fairly decent 250ml reservoir, which lasted around a minute before needing an easy refill.
Once we got the hang of flossing, this was almost enough time to manage our whole mouth, thanks to a nozzle that rotates 360 degrees and pulse wave technology that guides the device from tooth to tooth in Deep Clean mode. When using the quad stream nozzle, we could finish cleaning even faster as the flow is separated into four water jets, which cover more surface area between teeth in less time. Just keep your mouth closed while you do it or you’ll get an unexpected soaking.
There are three intensity settings and two flossing modes and even the standard clean mode left our mouth feeling super fresh, visibly dislodging any food particles trapped between teeth. The device comes with a travel bag, power adaptor and a USB charging cable, so, you won’t be able to charge it in your bathroom, but our battery showed no sign of fading even after nearly two weeks of daily use.
Our one grumble is that, for the price, we would’ve loved a tongue scraper included as well as the quad stream and standard nozzle. Still, our mouth has never felt cleaner.
Space is always tight in a bathroom cupboard so it makes sense to choose the most compact water flosser you can find. Developed by dentists Dr Lisa and Dr Vanessa Creaven, this dinky device was one of the smallest and most portable we tested, and is cordless and rechargeable just like an electric toothbrush making it one of the few flossers small enough to take on holiday.
Its water tank is fairly easy to fill and has a 190ml capacity, but we did have to refill this more than once during cleaning. There are three operating modes – normal, soft and pulse – which is useful so you can build up from the gentlest setting when you first start using it. We especially liked the 360 degree rotating nozzle which really made us feel like we were getting into every nook and cranny, and our mouth felt sparkling clean afterwards.
The device also comes with four different tips, so you can really adapt this flosser for your needs, and these include a classic jet tip, an orthodontic spray tip, a periodontal pocket sprinkler and even a tongue scraper for a full mouth makeover.
Waterpik are the world’s best-selling water flosser brand and therefore know a thing or two about keeping your teeth clean. The brand claims that its flossers are scientifically proven to be more than 50 per cent effective than traditional dental floss for improving gum health and remove up to 99.9 per cent of plaque from treated areas.
This cordless and rechargeable flosser certainly feels like it’s getting the job done. It has a 360 degree rotating head and four tips – classic jet, orthodontic tip, plaque seeker tip and tongue cleaner. There are just two pressure controls but the lowest setting is perfect for sensitive gums or those trying water flossing for the first time, without being too weedy. The non-slip grip makes it easy to hold when wet and it’s straightforward to operate without too many gizmos to complicate matters.
Our only grumble is the 210ml water capacity needs refilling around every 45 seconds, but we liked the fact this kept the flosser compact. You can even add a small amount of mouthwash to the water for minty freshness, making this an all-around great buy for anyone new to water flossing.
This whitening water flosser delivers a double whammy when it comes to keeping your teeth and gums in tip-top condition. As well as water flossing, this clever device whitens as it works, with Waterpik claiming it removes an additional 25 per cent of stains versus brushing alone.
Simply pop one of the included fresh mint whitening tablets into the flip-top tablet compartment and floss as normal – we definitely thought our teeth looked a little brighter after a couple of weeks of use. When the initial supply of 30 tablets runs out, it can then be used as an ordinary water flosser although replacement tablets can be bought whenever you need a whitening boost.
It’s an excellent flosser even without the additional tablets with a choice of 10 pressure settings – though start low if you’re new to water flossing as the higher ones are quite forceful. It comes with four tips, including two jet tips, so it could even be shared between a couple, if needed. That’s handy, as the separate reservoir – attached by a cord to the device – does take up quite a bit of space on a bathroom shelf, although, this means the water lasts for a whole flossing session, without needing to be refilled. It’s definitely not one you’ll be able to travel with, though.
Our teeth felt so clean after using this Panasonic flosser just once that we’re certain we beamed at everyone we met. The Ultrasonic technology works a treat, with increased water jet speed that generates water vapour bubbles on the surface of the teeth, to amp up the cleaning power. This also helps clean sensitive periodontal pockets to target plaque left after brushing and gently stimulates gums for an all-around healthier mouth. It can be used on orthodontic braces and bridges, too.
The device doesn’t feel too hulking to manoeuvre when it’s in the mouth, either. The slimmer top half of the cordless flosser makes it comfortable to hold, although, it still has a decent 200ml water tank. This lasts around 60 seconds on the level five water pressure setting but we did need to refill once during cleaning. Otherwise, it’s a fuss-free addition to any nightly routine as it charges in just one hour and remembers your last chosen water flow strength, so it is ready to go whenever you are.
Not sure you’ll stick to water flossing? Give it a go without blowing the budget by trying this fantastically priced flosser from Fairywill and, even if you don’t keep it up, at least you’ll have a decent new toothbrush.
However, we were suitably impressed with the results from the flosser for the price. Though it’s fairly chunky to hold, it comes with a large 300ml capacity water tank for uninterrupted use, and three operational modes with LED indication, including a massage mode. Impressively, four classic tips – and four replacement toothbrush heads – are included in the box, although, anyone with braces or a lot of dental work would be better off choosing a flosser that comes with alternative heads.
Also, be aware that both the toothbrush and flosser are charged with the included USB cable rather than a traditional shaving socket, so, both will need to be charged outside the bathroom.
Using a water flosser may seem messy at first but, once you get the hang of your device, it’s a convenient alternative to manual flossing. Firstly, you’ll want to make sure your flosser is charged and the reservoir is filled with water. Once you’ve got that sorted, you should be leaning over a sink before you get started, to allow the water to drain. Choosing a low pressure setting to begin with, and holding the flosser at an angle to where your teeth and gums meet, begin by testing if the water pressure is right for you and adjusting accordingly. Take a second or two on each tooth as you move around your mouth until you have finished flossing. Once complete, make sure you empty your device of any leftover water, to make sure it remains clean.
For maximum cleaning power in moments, the Philips sonicare cordless power flosser 3000 is unbeatable and got our teeth noticeably cleaner faster. If colour is a concern, try the Waterpik whitening water flosser instead to do two jobs in one and keep those pearly whites sparkling.
Time to up your brushing game? Check out our guide to the best electric toothbrushes