What kind of Teeth Flosser and brand should we get?

May 31, 2016 12:20 PM

Just like it says on the tin! What type of Teeth Flosser should we get? Which type of flosser do you use and love? More details within...

This Flosser will be either shared by 2 adults (ability to store attachments in the unit is nice, not necessary) or something like a portable where each person has their own unit + attachments. I've looked at Water Flossers, Air Flossers, Sonic Flossers, and various portable units. Waterpik Aquarius vs Ultra, Jetpik (some reviews say it's better than waterpik?) hand helds, things that use air or ???

I know the ones that go on the shower head are not feasible because our water is gross. Being able to add mouthwash or similar is nice. I HATE the feeling of "debris" in my mouth and this keeps me from flossing. Brushing kinda masks the "yuck" factor for me. I LOVE the feeling after I floss! Especially if it's fresh and minty!!

Regular teeth, no special concerns except maybe hassle and counter mess?

Which Flosser should we buy? I'm keen to hear how the flosser that you absolutely love feels/works for you because we can't spend a ton on something that's going to sit unused. Thanks!

posted by jbenben to Health & Fitness (17 answers total)

My wife and I have the WP 900 Total Care toothbrush/flosser combination, and we love it. The accessories (like color coded brush heads) store inside the unit, so it takes up very little counter space.

Note: The above link takes you to the Waterpik home page, which lists the unit for $99.99. You can get it here from Amazon for $66.49.
posted by Roger Pittman at 12:30 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

I use the little brush things, like toothbrushes but for between your teeth. There's bunches of different brands.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:38 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

GUM brand disposable flossers are bad for the environment, but good to have in your travel bag or the car or whatever. Don't get the generic brand, they shred and break.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 12:54 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Oh, ha ha. I guess I need to add here that I have bags of flossers in my bath and car and just will not use them. My mouth is narrow and the whole process is tedious and ineffective.

I'm interested in a fancy model because this might be something that then gets done 1x or 2x per day as part of a bath routine if it's easy to incorporate. In this case easy=enjoyable + effective.

I don't mind using and putting away attachments or whatever. I hate hate hate the feeling of flossing and the yuck factor. Anything similar to brushing where I spit out and it's easy to perform is ideal.

I will add again that reaching my back teeth is super hard with either a full sized toothbrush or little plastic flosser thingy. I want to upgrade so the floss process is effective and pleasant. I use a narrow toothbrush + baking soda and prefer that over the various electric toothbrushes I own.

Not sure if that helps clarify. Please tell me about the process and maintanence of the unit you love! Bonus points if it's narrow at the back of your mouth and you understand how hard it is to find just the right dental hygiene instruments that fit + work :))
posted by jbenben at 12:57 PM on May 31, 2016

Butler FlossMate. I like it so much I have three of them, one for home, one for the office, one for the road.

And P.O.H. ultra thin unwaxed nylon floss. I like the unwaxed because I can tell by the squeak when I've scraped away all the gunk. The teflon floss is silent. I bought the floss online, probably from Amazon. The minimum order was 12 rolls, so I now have a lifetime supply of floss.
posted by Bruce H. at 12:58 PM on May 31, 2016

Response by poster: String floss is really difficult in any format. Difficult to maneuver around narrow back teeth. Gunk on string floss gives me *shudders.*

Non-string method has to be my next step. So sorry if that wasn't clear!
posted by jbenben at 1:02 PM on May 31, 2016

The Waterpik model I referenced above has small brush heads, which should work well given your constraints. The water flosser has slim, narrow attachments - so getting to your back teeth should not be an issue.
posted by Roger Pittman at 1:05 PM on May 31, 2016

I also find the small pick-style flossers impossible to maneuver in my mouth. I have flossed every day (usually twice a day) for 12 years with Reach Access flossers. I have one in my shower (I also brush my teeth in the shower) so it's dead simple to incorporate flossing into my routine without even thinking about it.

I can see you here poo-pooing all manual flossers, but I'm going to tell you why I like this one:
-very narrow head, easy to get around my mouth
-long handle, easy to get around my mouth, my fingers don't have to be all up in it
-perpendicular floss style, not parallel, so I can pop it back as easily as brushing my teeth
-easy to use: floss a tooth or two, run the flosser under water, floss another couple teeth, run the flosser under water--I don't have to touch or even look at the crap that comes out.
-disposable heads that just pop off and on, no fuss
-they have mint flavor heads

Flossing with anything else is a major pain in the ass.
posted by phunniemee at 1:07 PM on May 31, 2016 [4 favorites]

I love my Water Pic Water Flosser. It's from Costco and has onboard storage of many heads. It's easy to use and my dentist is very happy with the improvement over daily string flossing.
posted by quince at 1:10 PM on May 31, 2016

Best answer: I use the Philips Sonicare Airfloss and love it. I use mouthwash in it and it gives an extremely clean feeling. Great for reaching those tight spaces in the back.

I don't think it's considered as effective as regular flossing, but my dentist said that it's better to use a good product every day than a great product once a week or month or whatever. So.
posted by schroedingersgirl at 1:33 PM on May 31, 2016 [2 favorites]

I have that same Waterpik toothbrush and flosser combination linked above and I love it as well!
posted by jaksemas at 3:08 PM on May 31, 2016

schroedingersgirl has it. the best flosser is the one that you use. My hygienist and I don't really care what product any of our patients use, so long as they are making a good attempt daily and coming in to have us get to the stuff that they are missing.
just be sure you aren't damaging your gums by using a go-between that is too aggressive. water devices are the best non-string devices IMO.
posted by OHenryPacey at 3:11 PM on May 31, 2016 [1 favorite]

I guess I'm old school. I like plain old J&J Reach dental floss, unwaxed and unflavored. I've been using it for decades, and, at the not so tender age of 64, with all my teeth still in my head, and healthy gums to boot, I think it's fair to say this practice has had a positive payoff.

Or maybe the message is, it's not how you floss but that you floss.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:03 PM on May 31, 2016

I've got genetically poor gums and lots of gaps, couldnt be without a water flosser. Started with a Waterpik which broke within less than a year. Replaced it with a Philips which lasted longer, replaced it with another Philips when that one stopped working. These things seem to need replacing every couple of years but the Philips at least lasted longer / feels sturdier.
posted by Ness at 12:31 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Oh haha I just looked up my amazon order history and its a Panasonic, not a Philips, duh! One of these.

I find that the style of head - just a nozzle with no embellishments, makes it easy to get at my back teeth. The technique takes a bit of getting used to, head over sink, hold jet at gums, tilt head, let water pour out as you go along. If you live in a hard water area be sure to empty the reservoir and nozzle of water between sessions, I've had a nozzle become completely blocked with limescale.
posted by Ness at 12:45 AM on June 1, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: It is very difficult for me, come Festivus time, to not make it rain this Panasonic portable water flosser down on everyone; it is so fantastic and has gotten my two hold-out 6 pockets down to 4s. Inexpensive, runs a good 2 months on 2 aa batteries, and supremely portable.

Do a good proper brushing with an electric toothbrush, then poke at your teeth with those reach picks, and then... and then you do this water flosser AND A WHOLE SANDWICH FALLS OUT OF YOUR TEETH. truth.
posted by mimi at 5:22 AM on June 1, 2016 [1 favorite]

I like my Waterpik Ultra quite a bit. I use hydrogen peroxide mixed with warm water, and it seems to be really effective, based on my checkups.
posted by freezer cake at 4:37 PM on June 1, 2016