Holistic dental health is very important to me. I don’t know if you’ve seen the commercials for the Waterpik Professional Sonic-Fusion flossing toothbrush this holiday season, but I did and I turned to my husband and said, “That is all I want for Christmas.”
If you’ve read my Reversing Gum Disease Naturally post, you know that water flossing is a key tool in the reversal of gum disease. I have great appreciation and gratitude for reversing my own gum disease, where at one point I was told I would need a graft on my gums! My teeth and gums are healthier than ever and I attribute that to water flossing. Keeping the gum line free from bacteria is really important. Regular brushing and flossing won’t do it. An electric or powered toothbrush will help, but the forceful pressure of the water getting underneath the gums is really what gets them clean and clean is what prevents bacteria from degrading the gums.
My routine was to brush with my electric toothbrush and then fill up my water flosser, preferably with hot water, which took some time, and then water floss. While I am a patient person, I don’t like routines that take too long and I found a lot of excuses to not water floss. The water was too cold. I didn’t have enough time. I was tired. I could do it tomorrow. My gums are in great shape, I can put it off. Then I would see a dentist appointment looming on the calendar and realize how long it had been since my last water flossing session. Guilt. Shame. Anxiety. Self-admonishment. All the bad things.
I just knew if I got the all-in-one, I would water floss regularly again and it would help my teeth and gums stay healthier! I opened it on Christmas morning and smiled. I had the flu and was not the most excited person this last holiday season, but I was happy to have this to look forward to. I set it aside, expressed my gratitude, and told myself I would use it when I wasn’t sick anymore.
A couple of weeks went by. I healed. I recovered my house and life from my illness (I mean nobody else was going to go through the mail, pick up the clutter, demand chores be done, etc). I followed the quick start instructions on the flossing toothbrush and set to work. There was a learning curve, but no biggie. I had a learning curve the first time I started water-fossing, so I knew it would just take time. I learned that I prefer to brush first for awhile before turning on the water, otherwise the water washed away my tooth powder before it had a chance to be brushed onto my teeth.
So here’s what I do. I turn on the hot water faucet and get the brush wet, setting the reservoir open and next to the sink. I dip my toothbrush into the tooth powder and put the brush in my mouth. Starting on the upper right side of my mouth, I brush each tooth. It feels like I’m at the dentist getting my teeth polished. Never have I felt my teeth get so thoroughly cleaned before! I continue with each tooth all the way around the front, top and bottom. Then I do the backs of all of my teeth. By now the water is warm, if not hot, which is how I prefer it, and I fill up the reservoir with my left hand while continuing to brush with my right. I turn off the sink, put the reservoir back on the base and push the second button that turns on the water-flosing portion of the toothbrush. Now I’m brushing and water flossing at the same time! It’s miraculous. I really do feel like I’m at the dentist, minus the uncomfortable chair, long waiting room anxiety, and awkward chitchat. The toothbrush is on an automatic timer so it turns off after 2 minutes. When it does, I continue water flossing, tilting the nozzle toward my gum line and making sure to get between every tooth, front and back. When the reservoir is empty, I push the bottom button to turn off the nozzle and I replace the rechargeable toothbrush onto the base.
I’ve used my flossing toothbrush for almost 7 months now and I am still in love! I do get that tiny urge to skip water flossing some nights, but it’s too easy to just do it. I’m already there, standing over the sink. Why not? I have had to replace the brush head, though. I put that off too, for awhile. At $25 for a pair of brush heads, I wasn’t in a huge hurry. So far I’ve been able to get a brush head to last about 4 months.
A couple of cool things to note: 1) This model comes with a travel toothbrush case. You can separate the toothbrush from the hose and machine and take it with you when you travel. That’s a pretty great feature! (I kept my electric toothbrush, so I’ll probably take that with me on the rare occasion I leave home, but it’s good to know). 2) Some water flossers do not handle the addition of oils or mouthwash or antibacterials. They easily clog or can’t handle it. I read in the manual that this reservoir CAN handle those additions. This is really important and exciting because using Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE), Thieves oil, Clove oil and others is a crucial component for killing off bacteria. I added Thieves once I knew it was safe, however, the oils definitely compromises the plastic reservoir! Young Living essential oils like those mentioned above are very strong and can corrode plastic. Instead of continuing to do that, I’ve started rubbing the oils onto my gums while brushing. If you do add anything to your flossing water, the only thing to remember is to clean the reservoir afterwards so it doesn’t become clogged by the oils or other liquids you’ve added.
Added note: This was ordered on Amazon as a Christmas gift, right? Well, it didn’t come in a box! It came as it is, in its own box, with a packing label stuck to it. Way to ruin the gift! It’s not like the box is so big they couldn’t stick into one of the billion Amazon boxes they use to ship things in every day, right?
Insider tip: Want to make your tooth powder last longer? When it’s about half empty, add a spoonful of baking soda!
Conclusion: Yes! The Waterpik Sonic Fusion Flossing Toothbrush is worth it! It’s perfect for the multi-tasker and anyone who’s interested in taking their dental health to the next level. Have you tried it? Do you think you will?