Water Jets: Taking Oral Health to New Heights
As a dental professional I am required to participate in a certain amount of continuing education each year. I am a registered dental hygienist with with 9 years of experience, and at 20 hours per year that’s a lot of extra education. Even with the amount of time I spend actively seeking out new knowledge, information seems to come from the most unexpected places. I have long been a supporter of Waterpik, in particular the dental waterjet system that they are most known for. I have always told my patients that a water jet, or oral irrigation system is a fantastic supplement to daily brushing and flossing. This evening though, while finishing up my research for this article, I learned that oral irrigation can actually be more effective than flossing in some situations. I will always encourage everyone to floss, that will never change. After today I will also be encouraging people (especially those who have braces or gum disease) to invest in a Waterpik.
Oral irrigation systems have come a long way since they first became available in the 1960’s. Waterpik’s Ultra Dental Water Jet will take up very little counter-space, and has an impressive reservoir of 600 mL. It comes with an assortment of tips, including a tongue scraper, a toothbrush head and my favorite, the orthodontic tip. The orthodontic tip is ideal for cleaning around bands and brackets and wires that come with having braces, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend using it as your primary tip. There is a lid that keeps the water in the reservoir clean, and holds all of the accessories very neatly. At $69.99 it’s a wonderful investment in your oral and overall health.
Waterpik makes toothbrushes as well. The Sensonic Professional Toothbrush landed middle of the road for me. It’s got a nice ergonomic handle, a high and a low speed and most importantly, a 2 minute timer with 30 second intervals. We’ve looked at brushes in the past that have different timing options and LED screens with sensor alerts. My professional opinion is to find a toothbrush you are happy with and use it for the full two minutes twice a day. Waterpik’s Sensonic Professional is a nice choice, and is very reasonably priced at $79.99.
Both products have a two-year warranty and are readily available from every major department store and drug store nationwide, as well as many online retailers.
I use a Gripit Floss Holder –www.gripit.biz – to floss daily and complement oral irrigation. These
handy devices come with their own floss supply that can be advanced
in seconds and refilled from local drug and grocery stores. They also last a lifetime and don’t clog landfills. I’ve had one for 35 years.
— Bill Warner · Sep 3, 11:52 AM · #
This is a fantastic presentation which captures what technology is all about. Thanks you for sharing and may you have many thought provoking conversations!
— Term Paper · Nov 30, 08:07 PM · #