Best Waterpik For Braces: What Is Right For You?

First of all let me clarify. I own braces myself and have been struggling with cleaning a lot. Regular floss is just a nightmare for braces and you probably already know that. I heard something about water flossers and decided to learn about them more. So I read a lot and made a huge research on topic. As a result I made this website to help people like me who also struggle cleaning braces. In this short article I will try to explain what water flossers are available on the market, what are their pros and cons and which one is best for you.


Table of contents

How water flossers work and what problem do they solve

Dental floss is meant to clean in between teeth and it does the job, but it’s not the most convenient way to clean your teeth. Especially when you got braces you have to be a flossing master to accomplish this task. And flossing takes so much time and effort, sometimes almost impossible and seems like the whole world is in conspiracy against you because not only you got to wear braces and brush your teeth after every meal, but you also have to use this dental floss and spend 5-10 minutes to clean your teeth. So choosing the best Waterpik for braces is an important thing.

I understand your pain and want to help you. And not only I understand, but companies like Waterpik and JetPik also thought about this problem and made water flossers. Water flosser is a device that is basically a washing machine for your teeth. It has a handle with a tip that pulsates water under high pressure. Is also has some kind of water reservoir (external or embedded). That’s basically it. Of course, it has some other features and accessories that make it a more effective device for your oral health, but the main principle remains the same.

So is the water flosser good for braces? Yes! Totally. A lot of orthodontists recommend water flossers to their patients. Water flosser removes plaque from in between your teeth and around brackets. Dentists also report that they see a noticeable improvement in patients with braces who started using a water flosser. I personally own braces and see a significant improvement in my teeth health. So I believe that water flossers are worth the investment and do wonders to your braces and oral hygiene overall.

What makes water flossers better than a regular floss

Water flosser has some benefits over regular dental floss:

  • It is fast
  • It is easier than a regular floss
  • It is funny to use
  • It makes you feel better
  • It is effective in cleaning braces

First of all water flossing is fast. It takes about 1-2 minutes to water floss the whole mouth from both sides and doesn’t require a lot of efforts to do. Though you have to master water flossing on the beginning, because when used wrong water flosser may make a mess in the bathroom.

Water flossing is easy since the motor in the water flosser does all the job for you. You just direct water stream in your mouth and that’s it. Sure you have to go through each tooth and in between them but it’s simple and feels almost like a magic wand.

Because of how easy you get cleaning effect it is also fun to use a water flosser. And you no longer have to struggle and waste your willpower to clean your braces. When I bought a water flosser I observed that I clean my braces every day and after every meal and I even enjoy the process. So it is no longer a problem for me and I hope it will be the same for you as well.

Water flossing is effective in cleaning braces. Water pressure cleans plaque in between teeth and around brackets and underneath and behind the elastic ties.

What are the types of water flossers

Water flossers can be divided into several categories:

  • Homebased water flossers
  • Travel water flossers

There are two major brands that produce water flossers and have different mechanisms:

  • Waterpik – produces water flossers that have an embedded water reservoir and pulsate water under high pressure
  • JetPik – produces water flossers that have an external water reservoir and pulsate dental floss along with water.

Waterpik is a well-established and a well-known brand that has a lot of different models. Althogh it doesn’t replace a regular floss, but makes flossing a lesser need. I personally use Waterpik and I am very happy with it, because it cleans my braces so well and I don’t have to think about it anymore. Waterpik water flossers have different tips for special cases. One of the tips is Orthodontic Tip that works best for braces.

What you need from a water flosser for braces

If you got braces you probably already know from your orthodontist that you have to clean your teeth and braces after every meal, so there should be no food left and no plaque around the brackets. And if brushing is not that hard, the flossing is a real challenge that requires a lot of time, skill and patience.

So the best water flosser for braces should have the following features:

  • Clean braces, in between the teeth, along the gum-line and around brackets
  • Make it fast
  • Replace flossing entirely, so you don’t have to floss anymore.

I bought my water flosser more than a year ago(at the writing time) and didn’t make any prior research. But since then I learned a lot on the oral health and water flossers particularly.

And the best water flosser for braces that I recommend trying is JetPik water flosser. The main advantage of this device over other water flossers is that JetPik pulsates dental floss along with the water.

Pulsating dental floss makes it the most efficient water flosser for braces since it cleans really well. Dental floss pulsates 20 times per second.

JetPik entirely replaces flossing so you don’t have to floss your teeth anymore. It also cleans your braces fast and the entire water flossing session takes 1-2 minutes.

Please note that JetPik uses floss capsules, and you have to replace them every two weeks or so. It means that JetPik has a continuous expense involved but the investment in you oral hygiene is worth it. One capsule will cost you $1 so it is $2 per month. I also have a full review of JetPik water flossers.

JetPik is a relatively new brand and it is advertised as a replacement for the well established Waterpik. I use Waterpik Complete Care myself and it cleans my teeth and braces really well. It comes with a special Orthodontic Tip that has a little brush on the end and cleans my braces, so I’m pretty happy with it. But if I would buy a new water flosser for braces I would go for JetPik.

Even though Waterpik is a very powerful water flosser I still have to floss my teeth once a week. And with braces the flossing is tough.

I have to put the floss around each bracket and clean in between teeth. If you have braces yourself, you probably understand me. So that’s why I recommend a JetPik water flosser that makes flossing the unnecessary thing.

Please note that I’m not promoting JetPik. I just know a lot about oral health and water flossers and use them by myself.

Which Waterpik Tip is the best for braces

Orthodontic Tip is the best Waterpik Tip for braces. It is specially designed to clean your braces. It has a little brush on the end that is tough enough to remove the food from braces, even the food that is hard to remove, such as vinegar pits, poppy, etc. It is recommended to replace it every 3 months. After reading this article you should no longer have a question of which Waterpik Tip is the best for braces.

How to use Orthodontic Tip for braces

Fill the water reservoir and start your water flosser. Move the Orthodontic Tip along the braces, brushing every bracket. Start from the back teeth and move to the front teeth.

When you are done with cleaning the braces, switch to your teeth. Clean your teeth by pointing the tip between braces at each tooth. Clean your teeth around brackets, moving from back to front.

The final step is to clean your gums. Start from the back and move your tip along the gum line. Then repeat the same process on the inner side of your mouth.

The whole process takes me about 2 minutes, and my braces and teeth are clean. And the breath is fresh as well.

What Waterpik water flossers come with Orthodontic Tip

Every Waterpik comes with Orthodontic Tip by default, so you don’t have to worry about buying the Orthodontic Tip. In case you have more family members with braces then you can purchase additional Orthodontic Tips.

Can I use a regular Waterpik tip for braces?

Yes, but the effectiveness will differ. Every Waterpik comes with a Classic Jet Tip. It provides the higher pressure and is good for teeth. But it doesn’t have a little brush on the end. So I recommend getting Orthodontic Tip for the best results.

Best practices for using multiple tips when you have several family members with braces

Make sure you keep your Orthodontic Tips separated in the Tips Storage. The biggest tips storages are in the Waterpik Complete Care and Waterpik Ultra and they are the best suited water flossers for the whole family.

When you are buying additional Orthodontic tips make sure you choose the tips with different colors, so you can recognize where is yours.

You can also give Orthodontic Tip to your kid. The tips are the same for both adults and kids. Just make sure you educate them on how to use your Waterpik water flosser properly.

Use your Waterpik after every meal. It will ensure that you remove all the food from your braces and in between your teeth. Teeth with braces collect plaque more quickly, so the proper oral hygiene for braces is crucial.

Add your favorite mouthwash to the water reservoir before use. It will make the water flossing more efficient and clean your braces better and prevent bacteria formation as well.

Use the highest pressure setting that is comfortable for you. The higher the setting, the better your Orthodontic Tip will work.

Best home based water flosser for braces

The model that I recommend to start with is Waterpik Ultra WP-100. It has the following features:

  • big water reservoir 22 Ounces (650 ML)
  • big tips storage
  • high pressure and 10 adjustable pressure settings

Big water reservoir provides 90+ seconds of work and you don’t need refilling it again to fully clean your braces.
Big tips storage can store up to 4 tips allows storing personal tips for each family member.
High water pressure makes allows really cleaning your braces, in between teeth and around brackets. You can also adjust pressure to your preferce. I recommend starting from low setting and increasing it over time when you feel comfortable to not get hurt, because this device is really powerful.

Even though Waterpik Ultra WP-100 has not the best look among Waterpik water flossers, it does the job very well and is cheap and robust. Currently it will cost you about $60.

There is another model called Waterpik Aquarius which is a best seller that has the following benefits over Ultra:

  • it has better design
  • it is lighter

Waterpik Aquarius looks better than Ultra, but it has a smaller tips storage and is less powerful than Ultra WP-100, especially for braces you need more power. But it also has designer series that look really cool and if you are more into design and exterior than you can give Aquarius a try.

Most of the Waterpik homebased models are intended for use only in North America. It means they are not compatible with global Voltage and you can’t plug them into a socket oversees if you happened to travel. Moreover they are slightly bulky and are not intended for travel. Waterpik has two cordless models Cordless Freedom and Cordless Professional. The main difference between them is that the first one works form 3 AA batteries whereas the latter has a rechargeable battery and you have to charge it once a week or so. But if you are really into travels I recommend looking into JetPik.

JetPik is a younger company and it has a single water flosser model. It has multiple series like JP50, JP200 and JP210, but it is basically the same device with slightly difference in use cases. The JetPik water flosser is very compact and looks like an electric toothbrush and indeed JP200 and JP210 come with a toothbrush head that you can place instead of water flossing tip and use as a toothbrush. It is also great for travel because the charger has universal Voltage 100-240v AC and can be plugged into either USB or a wall socket.

JetPik has the following features and accessories:

  • It is very compact
  • All tips are identical
  • It pulsates dental floss along with water
  • It is both a toothbrush and water flosser
  • It is travel compatible, because of universal charger
  • It comes with a tongue cleaner, UV Sanitizer, toothbrush head and several tips
  • It requires you to change dental capsules every few weeks

All JetPik models JP50, JP200 and JP210 pulsate water with dental floss and require you to use floss capsules and change them every two weeks or so. Though capsules are not mandatory and the device works without them also, but is less effective. They all clean your braces very well, thanks to the pulsating floss and make a regular flossing unnecessary thing.

JP50 doesn’t have a toothbrush head, JP200 has a toothbrush head and JP210 has a cord charger that is better suited for travels.

Best travel water flosser for braces

JP200 Elite accessories:

  • 3 water flossing tips(nozzles)
  • 10x dental floss capsules
  • 2x toothbrush heads
  • Travel water tube and clip
  • Cup
  • Metal Tongue Cleaner
  • Travel Case
  • Inductive Charger

So if you want to effectively clean your braces and travel with your water flosser I recommend a JP200 Elite that can be used both at home and in travels. It comes with a cup for home based use, several water flossing tips, and a toothbrush head. You can pack all of that (except cup, that you don’t need in travel) into a compact travel case that comes with it. Instead of cup you use a regular cup or a bottle in travels. So it is a perfect fit for travel people who want to keep their braces clean when they are far from home.

I also recommend reading more in my JetPik water flosser review.

Final conclusion

There are two major brands Waterpik and JetPik and they both have good water flossers to choose from that clean braces well. Waterpik is better suited for home based use and the recommended model for Waterpik Ultra WP-100, though it doesn’t replace a regular floss fully. JetPik is a substitute for a regular floss and is better suited for travel. If you are a travel person I recommend JetPik JP200 that will take care of your braces while you are travelling around the world. I hope this article helped you to choose the best water flosser for you and your braces.


Alex

Alex

Hello, my name is Alex. Hope you can like and share this content. Thank you so much!