Waterpik Water Flosser Model WP-100
The Waterpik Water Flosser takes oral hygiene to a higher level than tradition string floss using clean water and an assortment of tools to reach all around your mouth including the gum line and those back teeth.
Ease of Use/Performance: 25/25
Convenience/Storage 22/25
Appearance/Design 24/25
How much I enjoy 24/25
Total: 95/100
Oral hygiene is important and you need to not only brush your teeth regularly but floss as an important part of keeping your whole mouth healthy. The only thing I hate worse than going to the dentist is going to the doctor and having to, well never mind.
I do not like sitting in that chair just waiting for the hygienist to tell me I need to floss more and having those magical words "See you again in a year" instead of next week for a filling is great. I think I may have found a solution but will have to wait several more months for the final verdict from the dental assistant and dentist themselves with my oral hygiene.
While you may not want to hear about food chunks stuck in my teeth or how I get rid of them this is one product I am glad to review. Getting rid of small seeds from blueberries, strawberries or even chia is great with a quick blast of water from the powerful pump in the Waterpik Flosser.
Personally I am more than satisfied with the Waterpik Water Flosser and how it removes the gunk from between my teeth and all around my mouth. The Waterpik Water Flosser Model WP-100 is a small water flosser that uses a reservoir on top and small internal pump to push water through the handheld tools.
The WP-100 comes with a set of six tools, the Water Flosser with attached handle, removable reservoir and instruction manual with a quick cheat sheet. The Quick Start Guide, okay it's not a cheat sheet, tells you in quick steps how to setup and start using the Water flosser and it really is as simple as they state.
You unpack it and after a quick rinsing to clean it out I filled the reservoir and chose a tip, then turned it on, water all over the place as I turned the tip toward the sink. I thought the button on the handle would be an on/off valve where you pushed the button to start the water flow but it is a pause button instead.
Once I had this figured out, really only a matter of seconds, I quickly went to work on those teeth and gums, you just direct the tip of the handle toward the gum line and in between teeth. You can use the various tips for cleaning your tongue, the gums and more but I find that a quick reservoir full for daily flossing works well.
Yes, you get to hear all the messy details, the water is going into your mouth and then down into the sink to get rid of all those food particles and such down the drain. It is not that messy as you do get used to it and how to hold the handle to keep your hand out of the way while using the flosser.
While flossing with string you have to check out the string or you get to see all those pieces of food flying all over the bathroom mirror that requires some cleanup afterwards. With the Waterpik flosser you do get to see all that stuff your getting out from between your teeth and from your gum line as it dribbles down the drain.
I have made it a habit to use the flosser every night and will try my best to use it that often but a few times I have skipped for the traditional quick trip through the bathroom. The various tips may not be as useful for regular use but I found that the Pik Pocket tip with its rubber tip is handy for getting seeds and popcorn pieces out from between the gums when just the water would not.
The Orthodontic tip is a small bristled tip for use in and around braces and other dental work while the Plaque Seeker tip is a larger bristled tip for getting all over plaque. You also have a Tongue Cleaner tip that is like a spoon to give a general large flow while scrubbing the tongue and a toothbrush tip will work at getting plaque and general gunk off your teeth like a toothbrush.
I found that just using the classic jet tip and a scrubbing of the gum line and between teeth with the plaque or Pik tip would suffice to leave my mouth feeling clean and refreshed. I am not sure if this is going to be enough to satisfy my dentist but I think an improvement over brushing alone and the occasional flossing will be seen.
I know I feel better about myself and my hygiene when I use the Waterpik more often and have really enjoyed it since I have started working on lowering my cholesterol. I have been eating a lot, I mean a lot more, fruits, vegetables and grains with the seeds and other oral problems they all bring to me.
One thing I have been eating is chia seeds and they are small and do get in between your teeth just like strawberry and blueberry seeds. Using the Waterpik flosser in between meals to get rid of these small annoyances and the larger ones from meat or other foods like popcorn is great.
Blueberries seeds, strawberry seeds and those even smaller chia seeds inside their protective mushy outer coating after soaking in water all have the same insistence to stick between my teeth and gums. I really like the feeling of being able to quickly get the seeds and other stuck stuff, meat and more from everyday foods, out without having to stick several of my fingers in my mouth to floss with string.
The flossing tip works great at getting most, if not all the stuck stuff from between my teeth and from around my teeth and gums for a fresh, clean mouth and refreshing feeling. While I have tried using an oral rinse with the Waterpik I find that water straight from the tap works better as it is less of a waste in my opinion, that oral rinse can be expensive.
Daily use is very simple but there is some bathroom situations you need to take into account when looking at a water flosser of any brand or type. The Waterpik Water Flosser takes a plug in for use to power the machine so you need to have an outlet close and the unit needs to be very near your sink.
The power cord for the WP-100 is about four feet long and the tube to the handle is about two feet so you need to take these distances into account. The unit is heavy enough that you will probably not pull it off the shelf using it but you should take this into account as well when using it, you need a shelf or countertop close to your sink.
Using the water flosser daily is easy, simply fill the reservoir either by taking it off or using a cup and turning it on, just make sure you point the tip in a safe direction. I find that use is just as simple as brushing and you can easily make it a daily habit for the best oral hygiene you can at home.
The Waterpik has an adjustable pressure control if you find the pressure is too much for parts of your mouth and the pause button on the handle works well enough. From knowledge of pumps and water pressure you probably should not use the pause button for long, just to hold the water while you reach for the power button.
I enjoyed receiving the Waterpik Water Flosser and have found the machine is an exceptional way to floss and get those irritating food pieces out from between your teeth and out from your gum line. Check out the Waterpik Water Flosser WP-100 which can be found at a wide variety of local stores and many places on the internet for about $60.