Waterpiks versus Floss Throwdown

Ever since childhood I was told to floss my teeth. Then suddenly the Waterpik became popular around 1975 (along with massaging shower heads) , being the handheld device that shoots pulsating jets of water between your teeth. Which was better at removing plaque and preserving oral health, old reliable floss, or the newfangled gadget? Well according to Google and several studies the Waterpik wins this battle, but with a caution flag. In one study the Waterpik water flosser was up to 93% better in reducing bleeding and up to 52% better at reducing gingivitis than traditional dental floss (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16305005/). Waterpiks can remove up to 99.9% of plaque bacteria from treated areas and are 29% more effective than string floss at removing plaque overall (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24282867/). Waterpiks are said to be more gentle for people with sensitive gums than floss, where the thread may pinch delicate gums. Waterpiks are sometimes recommended for people wearing metal braces, with hard to reach areas. So what was the caution flag? The article sources quoted above are directly reference many times in the Waterpik company it self’s marketing and literature, leading one to believe they may be connected. So while the Waterpik is powerfully marketed for profit, we consider it a useful tool for maintaining gum and oral health, and, perhaps the last word, the ADA says you should use either a Waterpik or floss at your preference. – ProDentalFx, LLC