Flossing daily is a key part of keeping your teeth and gums healthy as this is the only way to effectively extract particles and plaque in hard-to-reach places, including in between teeth and around the gum line. However, only around 30 percent of adults floss every day. Often, this is because many people struggle to floss their teeth — maybe their teeth are too crowded or they don’t have proper mobility in their hands. Regardless of the reason, we are sharing the five benefits of using a water flosser to floss your teeth and why it’s an excellent alternative when traditional flossing doesn’t work.
How Does a Water Flosser Work?
A water flosser, also called an oral irrigator or water pick, uses a jet of water that is angled toward the gum line. While it’s not incredibly powerful, the spray of water is able to get along the gum line and in between teeth to remove plaque and food particles, reducing bacteria in the mouth and reducing the risk of cavities and gum disease.
5 Benefits of Using a Water Flosser
Studies show that using a water flosser is just as effective, if not more so, than using traditional string dental floss to clean between teeth. If you’re not sure if it’s right for you, consider these benefits.
Minimal Abrasion
Traditional flossing requires dragging the floss down each side of the tooth and up again. For people whose teeth are crowded or who aren’t using proper technique, too much force is used. The floss can then cut or inflame the gums, leading to swelling, redness, and even bleeding.
Water flossers don’t require force at all, allowing the water to flush the spaces between teeth and around the gums so abrasion and cuts aren’t a concern.
Excellent for Braces
For people with braces, flossing is difficult, but it’s still necessary to get the food particles and plaque from between teeth and even stuck in the wires and brackets. Water flossers can get into those hard-to-reach places much more easily and effectively.
Ideal for Mobility Issues
For people with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, or other issues that may affect the mobility in their hands or wrists, flossing can be impossible using string floss. Holding and aiming the water flosser is often much simpler for people with these challenges.
Deep Cleaning
String dental floss can get to the areas just below the gum line, but if pockets or spaces have developed, due to gum disease or gingivitis, flossing doesn’t work as well. A water flosser can actually clean more deeply and eliminate more bacteria from those pockets around the gums, minimizing the risk of infection and improving overall gum health.
Healthier Gums
In addition to removing plaque and bacteria around the gums and within pockets next to the teeth that are below the gum line, water flossers massage the gum tissue as they work. This increases and improves circulation which may boost cellular health and cell growth while decreasing inflammation in the tissues.
Schedule Your Checkup Today
Having regular dental checkups and teeth cleanings are another facet of proper dental hygiene. If you are in need of a checkup or would like to establish care with a new family dentist, we can help. Call us at our Holly Springs dentist office at (919) 600-6262 and our Cary, NC dentist office at (919) 467-2203, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.