Brushing and flossing are first and foremost the two best gingivitis preventative measures in any oral health routine.
It does not matter what you brush with…a toothbrush, your finger, a clean rag, the inside of a banana skin, a woody twig…just brush at least 2 minutes and twice a day.
Use a healthy toothpaste made from natural ingredients: essential oils, coconut oil, baking soda, charcoal etc.
When to Use an Oral Irrigator?
If you already have deep pockets around your gums (a case of periodontitis) then an oral irrigator is a third measure you can take to prevent recurring gum infections.
When you have deep pockets around your gums, it is difficult to clear the food particles and plaque that can get trapped there. It can sometimes cause terrible and painful infections. The best way to deal with this situation is to flush the area.
Fortunately, many of my own deep pockets (caused by recurring anaemia) have closed up as a result of using OraMD. But I still have one spot that is troublesome. On top of using this essential oil based toothpaste I also rely on an oral irrigator to help keep my gums healthy.
When traveling, I use a syringe because my 10-year old oral irrigator is too bulky and heavy to carry and it doesn’t work with all voltages. But on a recent extended trip, I missed my irrigator and I decided to invest in a portable irrigator with universal voltage (100 to 240) so that I can use it wherever I travel.
Based on my research, the Waterpik brand has the the best variety of high quality and economical portable irrigators (aka water flossers). Amazon has many of the waterpik models
I ended up purchasing this child version of what Waterpik calls a water flosser. It was a question of circumstance really. I was traveling, and didn’t stay in one place long enough to order from Amazon (best selection). I had to take what I could find locally in a small town. And I had the opportunity to try this unit before buying it. I found it was perfect for my needs. It has a number of speeds and is very powerful. Plus it is light and compact for traveling with universal voltage. I prefer this model to the battery operated units (which I’ve also tried). They do not provide as strong a water stream as I prefer.
And be careful if you want universal voltage. Read the fine print. Not all models offer this feature.
Water Flossing Does Not Replace Dental Floss
A final note, per advice from three dentists and my own personal experience, water flossers are great for managing the hygiene of deep pockets in your gums. But they are not adequate replacements for dental flossing. Daily brushing and flossing with dental floss are essential to oral health especially in the western world where diet is highly processed and laden with sugar. The plaque bacteria feeds on sugar. Teach your children to floss properly so that they get into the habit when they are young and they can do it anytime anywhere.
Brushing in Rural Kenya
Water flosser are more efective and promotes healty gums, in my perio. experience. I never had spaces between my teeths before i used regular flosser since then started, i wish i will never used, plus its chemical, whoever has gum problem, like perio, we should stay away from chemicals as much as we can. Not always dentists recommend you whatever its good for patients, its all business making world. So buttom like the best think water pik its the best if u really want to improve ur gums, and yes thats from my experience.
I am agree 100 %