I had been using the device - and loving it - before my most recent dental checkup, where I got some tragic news: Water flossing is not a replacement for traditional dental floss. In case you’re not familiar, water flossers are dental devices with a reservoir and motor that can pulsate a stream of water to clean between your teeth. So when I had a chance to try Quip’s cordless water flosser, I eagerly accepted. I’ve always gotten good reports from dentists about my oral hygiene, though, so I wasn’t all that worried - until the past few months when my gums began to bleed every time I brushed. As if I need another reason to skip it, these retainers make it impossible to floss those teeth. After I completed Invisalign in 2016, I had permanent retainers attached to my teeth (essentially metal wires bonded to certain teeth so they can’t move).

And one dentist felt even that was optimistic, estimating that it may even be closer to 10% of people who floss regularly. At every adult dentist appointment I’ve ever had I tell them that I floss a few times per week, when it’s more like one night every few weeks - and then only if I have something visibly stuck in my teeth.īefore you shame me, I’m far from alone - a widely cited CDC survey from 2016 found that only 30% of the population flosses daily. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve never been a regular flosser. All products were independently selected by our editors, and the prices were accurate and items in stock at the time of publication. BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them.

Quip battery change