Why I Don’t Floss Anymore

Waterpik Ultra Water Flosser

My grandmother died with all her own teeth. My mother will not be so lucky. I figure my odds are about 50/50. Last year, after having my teeth moved back into the places they have occupied since I got my braces off at 15 (who knew they’d move after all those years?), I began to have problems with my gums. Apparently it’s not unusual for this to start to happen after 40, but it’s way different when it happens to you.

The first thing out of my mouth was, “What can I do to fix it?” The answer my friends is the Waterpik.

I hadn’t seen one of these since the early 80s. I didn’t even know they still made them. They do, and I’m here to tell you that you really need to get one.

The newer models are more attractive and compact than I remember. Unfortunately they’re not much quieter. No matter, it’s only about two minutes. Oh, and I wish the reservoir held just a tiny bit more so I could do my entire mouth without having to add more water. But really those are my only two complaints.

Using the Waterpik takes more time than flossing, but I will never go back. My gums have improved dramatically and the only thing that changed was replacing floss with water.

The model I bought was $60 ($45 on Amazon). A small price to pay to keep my own teeth, I’d say.