We all know that flossing is super important as part of our everyday dental hygiene, but there is an alternative option more suited for people who have braces, arthritis, or even just a hard time getting the back of the mouth. 

A waterpik or water flosser is a device that aims a pressured stream of water in between your teeth. Just like regular floss, it helps remove food particles and plaque from your teeth. It will feel weird at first because it’s a stream of water just hitting your teeth, but with practice and correct precision, it can work effectively. 

Those with braces, a waterpik can be beneficial for not just between the teeth, but in between the brackets as well. Manually cleaning the brackets can get tiring, so utilizing a waterpik helps getting into those crevices where food particles tend to build up and create bacteria that erodes the teeth and gum lines.



For best results with a waterpik, try starting at the back teeth and work your way up to the front. Continue this method until you are a pro at cleaning the upper and lower teeth to ensure the entire mouth gets clean thoroughly. There will be a learning curve to this and it may get messy with the water splashing everywhere, but this is a great alternative if flossing is a challenge.