Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I put off buying one of these things for so long thinking, "There's NO WAY this actually works like manual flossing does!" My teeth are pretty crowded in my mouth and when food gets stuck in between teeth it can take some effort to get out, but my gums aren't very healthy and I get a lot of cavities even though I brush and floss regularly, plus I'm not a teenager anymore (34 y/o female), so I thought maybe it was finally time to be a grown up and see what all the waterpik fuss is about. I bought this when it went on sale during the holiday prime deals of the day and have been using it for several weeks now and I have to say, I'M A BELIEVER!!!! Here's what I love: - It has replaced my toothbrush and manual flossing with one system. I've used electric toothbrushes before and didn't think they were that great. Always ended up going back to my Oral B manual soft head toothbrush, but I really love this toothbrush! It ensures that you brush for the full recommended 2 minutes (which I can promise you I wasn't doing before) with a pulse every 30 seconds to let you know when to change locations etc. My teeth feel so much cleaner after using this toothbrush than they do after manual brushing!! It charges fast and holds a charge well. - Looks nice on the bathroom sink - Comes with a variety of heads for different applications and has a nice little cubby built in to keep them so you don't have to throw them in a drawer or leave them laying around on your counter top. There really is a floss head for every kind of mouth/situation! - Water flosser works like a BOSS!! I really didn't think it would have the power to remove food, let alone remove years of plaque build up, but after a few weeks I could already tell a difference! What I don't love as much: - Takes up a fair bit of real estate on your bathroom sink counter top. This may not be a problem for some, but if you've got minimal sink space, be aware of that. - The water flosser is LOUD! I mean, this is probably par for the course with similar products but holy cow, it sounds like firing up a generator and using a small jack hammer all at once! Not ideal for husband and wife who wake up/go to sleep on vastly different schedules. I may move it to the guest bathroom so we can each use it without disturbing each other. - It should've come with multiple toothbrush heads IMO. There were two toothbrush heads but each is for a different use. It would've been nice if my husband and I each had one to start with instead of having to order more right off the bat. That being said, here are a few suggestions or things I learned to get the best use out of this unit. 1) Manual flossing still has its place. For the first week or two I followed the water flossing with manual flossing mostly because I didn't believe it would actually work. Well, IT DOES, but the manual flossing still found some stuff here and there, so I will continue to floss manually in addition but MUCH less will be needed! 2) START LOW and work your way up. If you're new to water flossing as I was, I STRONGLY recommend that you start on a lower setting your first few times out of the gate until you get used to it. I started on 3 or 4, then moved it up to 6 a few days later. I stayed at a 6 for a couple weeks then started trying out the 10 which I personally like. It may be too much for some but I think it's great! 3) For the love of your bathroom, KEEP YOUR LIPS CLOSED!! If you don't want this thing going in full fire hose mode turning your bathroom into the splash zone at seaworld, KEEP YOUR LIPS CLOSED around the water pik at all times!! It can be trickier to get between your front teeth this way but trust me, you'll figure it out. KEEP YOUR LIPS CLOSED! 4) Even though the water pik came with several different tips for the flosser, I mainly only use the general purpose one and you probably will too. I recommend buying more of those right away along with toothbrush heads, especially if two or more different people will be using it. You're going to need those right away so just order them now. 5) If you have sensitive teeth DO NOT fill the tank with cold water unless you like torture. Also, we live in a cold climate and sitting water in the tank or in the line tends to get pretty cold. So, I ALWAYS drain the tank when I use it and refill right before use, and I ALWAYS let it run for 2-3 seconds in my sink first to clear the line of any previous standing water before I stick the thing in my mouth to avoid any unpleasant sensations. It's all about the warm water! I have super sensitive teeth so this is critical. 6) For the love of all that is holy, DO NOT point the flosser to the back of your throat!!! If you shoot yourself in the uvula with this thing set on 10, it's over. You're dead. Ok maybe not dead but you might drown. Or just cough and choke a lot. Or throw up. Either way, not fun. BEWARE of where you point it! 7) If you have a young child, NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LET THEM SEE YOU USE THIS!!! My autistic 4 year old son watched me use this once and now it's all I can do to keep him out of my bathroom. He turned it on with water in the tank one time...sweet mother of pearl the mess he made... It was big even for him! Just, don't leave water in the tank, k? If you don't use it all, get in the habit of emptying it after. 8) I find that the best combination is to first brush with the sonic toothbrush, then use the water pik, then if I feel like it's needed I do a quick pass with manual floss, then I rinse for a minute with listerine and my mouth feels like new every time! I know it's a bit time consuming, but it's been a great habit to get into at bed time! In the mornings I just use the sonic toothbrush. To sum up, this thing has REALLY made a difference in the health and feel of my teeth and gums in just a few weeks. Has it solved all my oral/dental problems? No. But it has really really helped. Besides that, I LOVE being able to have that fresh out of the dentist chair feeling every single day! If you've got teeth and gum problems of any kind, I HIGHLY recommend buying this set. The older you get, the more this is warranted. I would've given ANYTHING to have this when I had braces, a Haas expander and before my permanent retainer fell out! If you have any kind of implant, denture or dental/orthodontic appliance, do yourself a favor and BUY THIS!!