Anyone using a water jet dental flossing gadget ?

[littlegreenalien]

Apparently menopause is taking its toll on my gumline now and I need to step up my dental hygiene routine.

I have a couple of areas that even my dentist has admitted are incredibly hard to floss between the teeth but it seems like food particles have no problem getting in there and remaining there !

So, I'm thinking of investing in a water jet flosser.

Dentist doesn't use one personally himself apparently but thought it was definitely worth a try to prevent more issues arising.

Any recommendations ?

Have you tried interfental flossing brushes?

I also have bits that I can't floss because the teeth are so close together, but receding gums have left food-trapping gaps below the close-together bits. I asked the dentist whether I should invest in a waterpick, but she recommended seeing how I get on with interdental brushes first. Much cheaper!

They are certainly effective. When I use them regularly my gums are much healthier than before. No more bleeding or sensitivity. I also use a Sonicare toothbrush.

X H had one he loved it I hated everything about it! Maybe there was some internal unconscious bias involved though.

I did, unfortunately it washed a filling out so it put me off a bit, obviously the filling must have been a bit loose anyway but it was a bit of a shock. I use the brushes now

I’ve used a water pick for a couple of years and it’s great. I do use the interdental brushes too but I prefer the water jet as it leaves everything feeling so clean. I’ve had treatment for gum disease so gums have receded a bit leaving annoying gaps for food to get stuck. I bought mine from Amazon and it was about £20 I think. My tip is to use warm water to avoid sensitivity and lean right over the basin with your mouth open so water drains out. It’s a bit fiddly to not get soaked at first but it’s great once you get the hang of it.

I love mine

I got one from Boots for Christmas www.boots.com/waterpik-cordless-plus-water-flosser-wp-450uk-10090171 - except it was half price then. DH and very surprisingly DD love it and use it very other day. I used it once and my god no. Never again It went everywhere and it tickled and not in a good way.

@Dilbertian + others.

Yes, I use the interdental brushes for the actual gaps but some of my molars are so tightly packed that where they curve out and touch it's nigh on impossible to get even floss in there (dentist has even tried, in a patronising manner, until he too struggled and acknowledged the difficulty) . I've snapped floss before leaving a tiny portion of the strand wedged which was fished out at a dental appointment. Apparently water will force its way in anywhere so this is what I' m hoping will do the trick for keeping the touching sides of these teeth as clean as may be possible.

My dad's side of the family have poor quality teeth and I've inherited his genes as far as teeth are concerned. It's costing me a fortune and I already seem to do way more cleaning/flossing etc than many of my friends (noticed this on various weekends away together).

Thanks for the tip @Rieslingandcrisps .

I watched an argos video clip and it did recommend using warm water.

My dentist recommended I use one after I had an implant fitted. It takes a bit of getting used to and I second a pp's advice on using warm water, but generally it's good.
I pulled a crown off once with just ordinary floss and I find the water is gentler.

I’ve got one which is great when I remember to use it.
I saw a tip on here saying use it in the shower, which I thought was genius but haven’t got round to doing yet

Love mine. So easy and quick to use and find it gets in between all my teeth better than floss.

Warm water is a good idea for sensitive teeth.

I did ask my dentist what he thought of them and he said "they are very popular In America and they really take care of their teeth so I assume they are great"

My dentist told me to avoid interdental brushes as they can cause black triangles. Apparently repeated use will eventually lose the scallop shape of the gums, leaving the gum flattened and with the triangle shape between the tooth. I stopped using mine just in case and stick with the water flosser.

Yes I use one. I asked my dentist and he said use floss as normal (I use flossers), then use warm water in the water flosser and then brush my teeth. Otherwise the water flosser rinses the toothpaste away, which protects your teeth which makes sense as you're not supposed to rinse after brushing. I would say it take a minute to do my teeth with the water flosser so it's not exactly the palaver it sounds written down and I like to put the plug in to see all the big bits it flushes out!!!

I have a Phillips Sonicare AirFloss and I highly recommend it. I have always found flossing really difficult for various physical reasons and had resigned myself to always having B- oral health. However the air floss has made a huge difference. It's really easy to use and the dentist is no longer criticising my gum health every visit.