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.
My friends SWEAR by that stuff. They usually add a VERY small amount of Tea Tree oil too. Neither has been to the dentist for years and have no dental issues whatsoever.
I use some hydrogen peroxide (diluted as well). I believe both are antibacterial.
I swear my mouth feels really clean afterward.
Do you do it in lieu of brushing your teeth or is it in addition to it?
In addition to brushing. It’s in lieu of flossing – between the teeth and at the gumline.
I bought one when I had my braces on because I hated those floss-pick thingies they gave me. I have no idea when or why I got rid of it, but I may need to buy another one now…
I wish I’d used one when I had braces too.
Really, I highly recommend it. Makes a huge difference.
My mom has some hellacious gum disease and I need to get on the preventive maintenance. I’m terrible about flossing so maybe this is what I need.
My mom has some bad problems too (she takes after her dad, unfortunately), and I’m just praying that I can keep that from happening to me!