A healthy confident smile is the most important exterior feature we have. And the secret to maintaining those pearly whites is with regular dental checkups, along with brushing and flossing every day.

Unfortunately, flossing is the most neglected of all essential oral care routines. Our sensitive gums just don’t like having string ripping into them. Even if you floss religiously every day, it’s still hard to do without injuring yourself. Worse, back teeth are often more neglected because it’s so difficult to manoeuver the floss around in the back of your mouth.

Oral irrigators make it easy to clean around and in between teeth without injuring your gums. There has never been a better time to buy one either, as prices have come down considerably over the last few years.

Types of Oral Irrigators

There are three main types of water flossing units, with thousands of different brands ranging from $20 to $150:

1.Manual

Manual irrigators are portable and compact. They also come with a really low price tag. That’s where the benefits to a manual unit end though, as they aren’t very powerful. The pulses-per-minute rating is determined by how fast you hit the plunger. This type of flosser is almost non-existant nowadays and aren’t really worth wasting your money on.

2.Faucet

Faucet type water flossers are much better than manual units, attaching to your water faucet and using an aerator and tip to create water pressure. Higher-end brands will supply a new aerator valve with a screw-on or quick-connect provision to connect your flosser to your faucet.

Faucet flossers are fairly powerful, will last for a very long time, and don’t have a bulky reservoir that takes up counter space. You can tuck them neatly away in a drawer or cupboard when not using them. The only part that can fail on a water faucet is the internal seals, which can easily last for a decade or more.

3.Electric

Electric flossers use a motor to stream water or air in-between your teeth. Some plug into an electrical outlet. Other units use replaceable batteries or come with a permanent rechargeable and charge stand. There are so many variations out there, to suit almost anyone’s preferences including hand-held units with a built-in reservoir, and still others with a large separate reservoir that feeds the flosser via a small hose.

Electric offers more pulses-per-minute for cleaning than manual or faucet-powered flossers do. Both water and air electric flossers allow you to use mouthwash, instead of water to get your breath smelling extra kissable too. However, it’s important to consider the lifespan of the motor when buying one: buying a trusted brand with great reviews, and which is backed by a warranty to protect you against early failure of the motor is essential.

Top 6 Oral Irrigators

#1	Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser, WP-660	More Info
#2	Conair Interplak All-in-One Sonic Water Jet	More Info
#3	Panasonic EW-DJ10-A Portable Dental Water Flosser	More Info
#4	Philips Sonicare HX8211/02 Airfloss Rechargeable Electric Flosser	More Info
#5	QuickBreeze – Dental Oral Irrigator	More Info
#6	Profloss 4190 Water Flosser	More Info

Benefits of Using an Oral Irrigator

1. Cleaner Teeth

A good oral irrigator will last for many years and can clean up to 50% (2x) more plaque and food particles than regular floss would. Many models allow for the use of mouthwash, which helps kill even more bacteria.

2. Best for Braces

The biggest trouble with permanent braces is that they make it hard to brush and impossible to floss. An oral irrigator can reach every nook and cranny, reducing tooth decay and the all-too-common discoloration that takes place in people with braces after they’re taken off.

3. Safe on Dental Work

Regular flossing is difficult and potentially very expensive when trying to clean around dental work such as veneers, implants, crowns, permanent dentures, and so on. Water or air flossing eliminates the danger of catching on something with the floss and pulling it off, or scoring/tearing the gumline of your permanent dentures.

4. Protect Your Gums

Oral irrigators don’t cause your gums to bleed, which is inevitable when using regular dental floss. Failure to floss causes gum disease and tooth decay, but cutting your gums also leaves you an open would in your mouth that’s susceptible to infection.

5. They’re Fun:

An oral irrigator is a fun toy that will have you dying to floss your teeth every day!

How to Choose an Oral Irrigator

Following are some features to watch out for:

1. Number of Flossing Tips (electric)

Less-expensive models will only come with one or two cleaning tips. While this is fine for most people, more tips mean more options for reaching different areas of your mouth. The flossing tips control the pressure output of the water or air, and different curves and bends offer more options for reaching stubborn areas.

2. Cost of Replacement Tips/Nozzles (all types)

The rubber inside the tips of your flosser is used to create the desired pressure and cleaning effect. They eventually wear and require replacement; generally every 3 – 6 months. Researching the cost to replace them before making a purchase will give you a good idea of the lifetime cost of each product.

3. Pressure Control (electric)

If you’re going to choose an electric over a faucet type, make sure the flosser has at least a couple of different speed settings to choose from. Units with no adjustment might tickle or even sting a bit while using them.

4. Reservoir Capacity (electric)

Make sure the reservoir that comes with your electric flosser has at least a 90-seconds. You don’t want to have to fill your flosser up 2 or 3 times just to get one flossing session in. This is one main advantage that faucet irrigators, and units with a large separate reservoirs have over handheld units with smaller integrated reservoirs.

Oral Irrigator Reviews

1. Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser Professional

Where to buy: Amazon

Waterpik has been at the top of the game in oral care for years now. At just over $70, you won’t find a better value for what you get in this kit. The Aquarius Professional offers a lot of options that most others on the market do not. First, you never have to refill the separate reservoir, it offers a full 90-seconds of water capacity, which is more than enough for the average person. It also comes with 10 speed settings, 7 flossing tips, LED display, flossing timer, and the replacement tips are very affordable at $7 – $12 per two-pack.

2. Conair Interplak All-in-One Sonic Water Jet

Where to buy: Amazon

This Conair unit doesn’t have near the reputation of the Waterpik, but it’s very affordable and feature-rich considering it retails under $40. The Interplak offers 7 power settings. This unit has something that no other flosser does – a sonic toothbrush attachment that offers 12,000 sonic movements. Additionally, there are three other flossing tips included. The replacement tips are also very affordable, with a four-pack set at $9.

3. Panasonic EW-DJ10-A Portable Dental Water Flosser

Where to buy: Amazon

This oral irrigator from Panasonic is a handy, almost pocket-sized portable unit. It’s powered by 2 replaceable AA batteries. It offers 2 speed options and operates at 1600 pulses-per-minute, which is great for a portable. The entire unit folds down to half its operating size, making it handy for traveling with. The reviews of this product are favorable, claiming it to be a powerful portable water flosser. It only comes with one tip included, but the replacements are reasonably priced at <$10 for a two-pack.

4. Philips Sonicare HX8211/02 Airfloss Rechargeable Electric Flosser

Where to buy: Amazon

The Sonicare is an airflosser that also sprays tiny droplets of water (or mouthwash) while it cleans. It comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and charger base. This handy unit offers an “auto-burst” feature that releases air and liquid in timed bursts, letting you know when to move from one tooth to the next. As with the Panasonic model above, the Sonicare comes with just one flossing tip. A two-pack of replacement tips costs just under $10.

5. QuickBreeze – Dental Oral Irrigator

Where to buy: Amazon

This QuickBreeze product is a faucet-powered unit. It snaps on to any bathroom faucet just like the hose for a portable dishwasher would. They offer a brass, chrome-plated adaptor for free with each kit. The QuickBreeze is a single speed unit that comes with 2 different cleaning tips. It also has perhaps the most affordable replacement tips of any oral irrigator, with a three-pack costing just $5.

6. Profloss 4190 Water Flosser

Where to buy: Amazon

The ProFloss 4190 is a no muss, no fuss faucet powered flosser. No batteries or outlets required. At just over $20 after taxes, you won’t find a more affordable way to get started with your new water flossing routine. There are no fancy features and only one speed since it runs off faucet power, but it will connect to most standard threaded bathroom faucets, and they include a threaded faucet adapter in case you don’t have one. The tips are a bit pricey, at $9 a piece after taxes – you also have to buy them four or six at a time.

Summary

Hopefully your choice will be much easier now. Which type and brand you choose largely depends on your preferences: cost, portability, versatility (options), cost of replacement tips, and power.

• If you’re looking for a high-quality, powerful, feature rich irrigator that will stand the test of time, you really can’t do any better than the Waterpik Aquarius Pro or the Conair Interplak.

• If you want portability and electric power, the Panasonic or Philips Sonicare are both excellent choices.

• The QuickBreeze and ProFloss 4190 are both inexpensive products that will get you waterflossing for the least initial investment, and require nothing more than a faucet for power.