I totally get the appeal of the water flosser—my kid with braces is way more likely to use it too. But I actually had a different experience when we swapped over. For a while, we relied almost entirely on the water jet (partly out of desperation), and her gums looked fine at first. But at one checkup, the hygienist found a couple of spots with plaque build-up right along the gumline, especially between the back molars. Apparently, the water flosser just wasn’t quite getting everything out for her, even though it felt super clean.
We ended up doing a sort of hybrid thing: water flosser most nights, but string floss (with those annoying threaders) once or twice a week. It’s not perfect—some nights we skip—but it seems to have made a difference. I do think the water flosser is a total sanity-saver, but for us, adding in string floss occasionally was worth it. Maybe everyone’s mouth is different? Just wanted to throw that out there in case anyone else runs into the same issue.
I hear you on the water flosser feeling like a game-changer, especially with braces. I was so relieved when my ortho suggested it—threading regular floss through wires every night is just... ugh. But honestly, I ran into something pretty similar. My first few months with the water jet, my teeth felt super clean, and I thought I’d finally found the easy way out. Then at my next cleaning, my hygienist pointed out plaque hiding between my lower molars, right where I can’t see or feel it.
I guess for me, the water flosser gets about 90% of the job done, but there’s always that stubborn bit left behind. Now I do the water jet most days (it’s just so much faster), but maybe twice a week I drag out the threaders and get in there with string floss. Not gonna lie, sometimes I skip if I’m tired, but when I remember, it seems to keep things in check.
I wonder if it depends on how your teeth are spaced or how your braces are set up? Either way, totally agree—water flossers make life easier, but I wouldn’t ditch string floss completely.
I totally get what you mean about the water flosser being a lifesaver, but not quite perfect. I had the same thing happen—thought my teeth were spotless, then my dentist showed me those sneaky spots way in the back. It’s wild how much can hide out of sight. I wonder if anyone's tried those little interdental brushes? I used them for a bit when my wires were really tight, and they seemed to help with the tricky spots, but honestly, they’re kind of fiddly. Does anyone else feel like their cleaning routine changes depending on how their braces get adjusted? Some weeks I just can’t get in there at all...
Yeah, those interdental brushes are a bit of a pain—especially when the wires are freshly tightened and everything feels extra crowded. I’ve tried a bunch of different cheap brands, but they always seem to bend or fray after a couple uses. The water flosser is great for getting between brackets, but I still end up using regular floss sometimes just because it’s cheaper and doesn’t run out of batteries. Anyone else just kind of rotate between whatever works that week? My cleaning routine definitely changes depending on how sore my mouth is after adjustments... sometimes I just give up and hope for the best.
- Totally relate to the routine changing after adjustments. When my teeth are sore, even the thought of poking around with brushes or floss is... not happening.
- Tried water flossers a couple times—felt nice and easy at first, but I’m not convinced it gets everything, especially near the gumline. Also, it’s kind of a pain to clean up the splashes (or maybe I’m just messy?).
- String floss is still my fallback. It’s cheap, always works, and I don’t have to worry about charging anything.
- Interdental brushes were a disaster for me—bent wires and bristles everywhere. Maybe I’m too rough or just unlucky with brands.
- There are days I just rinse and hope for the best, especially after an adjustment. Don’t love it, but sometimes comfort wins over perfection.
- Still figuring out what combo actually works long-term. Haven’t found a “perfect” solution yet... guess it’s just trial and error for now.
