Is a Waterpik better than flossing?
They actually have different purposes. Flossing removes plaque (bacterial biofilm) from teeth to prevent it from creating cavities, gingivitis and periodontitis. It is also effective removing irritating and unsightly bits and pieces of food.
The Waterpik and other oral irrigation devices are excellent for removing food stuff from hard to reach places like periodontal defects caused by periodontitis and the nooks and crannies around braces. However the Waterpik will not remove the sticky biofilm called plaque and that is what creates the acids and toxins that damage teeth and gums.
If you want to improve your oral health you will need something mechanically abrasive like the floss and toothbrush and other oral health instruments to rub that plaque off.
Note: in the early days of Waterpik, they had a setting powerful enough to remove plaque, but it also separated the gums from the teeth and drove bacteria into the gum tissues around the teeth. Not good and it got fixed
It is still a wonderful adjunct to good oral health if you have braces or periodontal defects or gum recession that leaves food traps between your teeth.
Want to learn more about dental health, click HERE for Winning With Smiles Children's Dentistry
Educating parents about the care of their child's teeth is the first priority of our practice and leads to overall fewer cavities and bigger smiles!
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About Me
- Dr. Scott Thompson
- Welcome to Winning With Smiles - Pediatric Dentistry. We are dedicated to cavity free, healthy beautiful smiles. We look forward to the opportunity to share with you what we know about creating optimal oral health for growing children. We understand oral health is closely tied to general health and like to work closely with the family physician. Oral health is also closely tied to family life and lifestyle. That is why we like to have the family involved with dental appointments. What we teach our patients works best if understood and supported by the family and will benefit the family as well. We enjoy working with parent and siblings present. We have been learning from families since 1974. With the family present, open questions lead to family learning. We are dedicated to your oral health.
I agree that children dental care is very important because it can help them develop a healthy eating style. Avoid sugary drinks like soda and encourage drinking something healthy like water. Also, sugary sweets are bad as well because they can lead to tooth decay and overall worse health.
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