My kid’s ortho actually warned us about going full blast, but I totally get the urge. It’s like, if you can see all that gunk, you want it gone NOW, right? My daughter says the gentle setting feels like “a baby sneeze,” but she hates when her gums sting after cranking it up. Do you ever get sore spots or bleeding, or does your mouth just tough it out? I’m always worried she’ll blast a bracket off...
I’m always worried she’ll blast a bracket off...
That’s honestly my biggest fear too. I’ve got brackets everywhere, and the first time I cranked my water flosser up to “jet engine,” it felt like my gums were getting sandblasted. Ended up with sore spots and a tiny bit of bleeding, so now I stick to the middle setting. It’s enough to get the gross stuff out, but not so harsh that I’m wincing after.
I totally get your daughter saying the gentle setting is like a “baby sneeze”—it doesn’t feel like it does much, but at least it doesn’t hurt. Has she tried angling the tip differently? Sometimes I find if I point it more at the gum line rather than straight at the bracket, it cleans better without that sting.
Haven’t lost a bracket yet, but I do worry every time I hit a wire at the wrong angle. Maybe it’s just me being paranoid, but I’d rather go gentle and have everything stay put than risk an emergency ortho visit. Anyone else notice their gums get tougher over time, though? Mine used to be super sensitive, but now they barely react unless I go overboard.
