What is Dental Plaque

Plaque is the sticky material that builds up on your teeth and under your gums that is full of bacteria. The bacteria love living in this environment because it provides them an environment to grow and prevents them from being washed away with the water and food that you eat! Most of the time, plaque cannot survive long on the cheek side, chewing surface and tongue side of your teeth because your lip, cheeks and tongue are rubbing against that area preventing it from being able to stabilize, but under the gums and between your teeth are areas where plaque thrive! While using tools like a toothbrush are amazing at cleaning the area under the gums, it often cannot reach the area between your teeth and under the gums. That is why I always recommend my patients floss and use a WaterPik to clean these areas

What is a Waterpik Water Flosser

Flossing with braces is difficult, let a WaterPik help!

The Waterpik is a small device that you fill with water or a diluted mouthwash that can shoot pressurized water in an oscillating function to help break up bacterial plaque and keep those hard to reach areas of your teeth clean. Most models of the Waterpik have a customizable pressure setting, meaning that if you have sensitive gums/teeth, you can start at a lower pressure and work your way up to a level that’s comfortable for you! To learn about my favorite models of the WaterPik check out my video below:

Different Types of Waterpik

There are three different categories of WaterPik that I want to highlight in this blog post: the Countertop WaterPik, the Cordless WaterPik and the Sonic Fusion. Each of these have their own pros and cons but I hope that after you read about these products below, you will be able to identify which one will fit best into your oral hygiene routine!

Why Waterpik is a MUST with Braces

I always tell patients in braces that having a WaterPik is an absolute MUST- but why? When you have braces on your teeth, you have a lot more surfaces to clean. Not only are you responsible for cleaning the same areas of your teeth, but now you have to worry about where the braces are attached to your teeth, as well as those areas that are covered with wire. These areas create little nooks where bacteria can live and where plaque can develop. The longer the plaque stays there, the harder it becomes to clean and the higher risk you have for dental caries, periodontal / gum disease and bad breath. By using a WaterPik, you’re not only going to be dislodging all the food particles that can get stuck between your teeth and braces but you can also break up the plaque and bacteria that grow there.

How to Use the Waterpik

You should use your WaterPik for one minute, at least once a day, before brushing/flossing your teeth. First, I recommend loading the reservoir with warm water (especially if you have sensitive teeth). I personally enjoy using a 50:50 ratio of warm water and an alcohol-free mouthwash. This delivers the benefits of mouthwash under the gums and hard to reach areas. After you load the reservoir, place the WaterPik tip in your mouth BEFORE turning on the machine. This may be common sense but you don’t want to turn on the WaterPik before it is in your mouth or it will splatter everywhere and make a mess. Once it is on, work your Waterpik around your mouth, following your gum line and angling the WaterPik tip at a 45 degree angle to your gums in order to clean the area under your gums. Make sure to keep your head over the sink and your mouth only slightly open to prevent the water from splattering out but also allow for it to flow out of your mouth into the sink. If your gums are not healthy, your gums may bleed for the first few days / week, but with continued use and proper oral hygiene, this should go away! If it does not go away, please see your dentist for further evaluation.

Why Flossing is Still Useful

I always recommend patients to use traditional string floss in addition to WaterPik. Although the WaterPik is phenomenal at dislodging the plaque, bacteria and food particles from your teeth and braces, string floss is amazing at getting the last bit that remains. I always compare the WaterPik and string floss to washing a car. You can use pressurized water to clean MOST of the car, but even if you follow up with a towel (the floss), you will be able to detect some dust (plaque) that was left behind. Therefore, I always recommend using traditional string floss in addition to the WaterPik. To learn more about flossing, please check out my blog post about flossing with braces!