Which one actually gets your teeth cleaner: blasting with water or good ol’ string floss?

I’ve tried a Waterpik too, and while it’s super satisfying (and kind of fun?), I always feel like there’s still stuff left behind that only string floss gets.

This is so real. I swear, the Waterpik is like a mini power washer for your mouth - oddly entertaining, and you get to feel like a dentist for a second. But then there’s that sneaky bit of spinach or popcorn kernel that just laughs in the face of water pressure. I had braces for years (the full metal mouth), and now I’m stuck with a permanent retainer. Flossing with that thing is basically an escape room challenge every night. Sometimes I just stare at the floss threader and wonder if I’ve made poor life choices.

But here’s the thing: as much as I want to believe the Waterpik is enough (because it’s quick, and honestly, who doesn’t love a shortcut?), I’ve noticed if I skip actual string floss for a few days, my gums start to feel a little...off. Like, almost itchy? Maybe it’s psychological, but nothing beats that squeaky clean feeling after you drag the string through and see the, uh, “evidence” on the floss. It’s grossly satisfying.

I totally relate to the gum anxiety too. Had a phase where my gums bled every time I brushed, and I spiraled into Googling scary gum disease photos at 2am. Not recommended, by the way. That was enough to make me get religious about flossing again, even if it means wrestling with the retainer every night.

I still use the Waterpik as a backup, especially when I’m too tired for the whole flossing production, but if I’m being honest, string floss just feels more thorough. Maybe it’s just habit or placebo, but my mouth feels cleaner and my dentist is less judgy at checkups.

Anyone else secretly enjoy seeing what comes out on the floss, or is that just me being weird?

I totally get that weird satisfaction from seeing what the floss drags out... not just you. Waterpik is fun, but I always feel like it’s just blasting stuff around, not actually grabbing it. String floss feels more “hands-on” clean, even if it’s a pain sometimes.

String floss just feels like it’s doing more, right? I’m new to the Waterpik game, so maybe I’m missing something, but with floss I can literally see what comes out. Like, sometimes it’s kind of gross but also satisfying at the same time. With the Waterpik, I just get a splashy mess and maybe some tiny bits floating around, but nothing as obvious as what gets stuck on the floss.

I will say, though, the Waterpik is way less annoying when you’ve got tight teeth or a permanent retainer (I have both - flossing is basically a puzzle). But after using it, my teeth feel… clean-ish? Not quite that “squeaky” feeling from string floss. Maybe it’s just in my head.

Honestly, I kinda trust the old-school method more for actually scraping stuff off. But I still use both because my dentist told me to “do whatever works as long as you’re cleaning between your teeth.” Not super helpful, but here we are.

Honestly, I kinda trust the old-school method more for actually scraping stuff off.

That’s interesting - do you feel like you’re actually getting under the gumline with string floss, though? I used to swear by it, but after getting a permanent retainer, it got so tedious I’d skip days. My hygienist said the Waterpik is better at flushing out bacteria below the gumline, but I get what you mean about not seeing as much gunk come out - it’s not as satisfying.

Have you noticed any difference in your gums since using the Waterpik? Less bleeding or puffiness? For me, it seemed like my gums were less sore after a couple weeks, but I still don’t get that “squeaky clean” feeling either. Maybe it’s just psychological because we’re used to that physical scrape from floss?

Also, do you use the Waterpik before or after brushing? I’ve heard arguments both ways but never settled on which actually makes more sense.

I’ll be honest, I was super skeptical about switching to a Waterpik at first. I always felt like string floss just did more - like you said, that scraping feeling kind of tricks your brain into thinking you’re really getting in there. But after a couple months with the Waterpik, my gums stopped bleeding completely, which had never happened with regular floss. I do miss seeing the actual gunk on the string, though. As for timing, I usually Waterpik after brushing... it just feels cleaner that way, but maybe it’s just habit at this point.