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> Evidence? None, other than asking my hygienist which setting I should personally use, and she told me don't go above 5. I trust her judgment so I left it at
by nickjj 8y ago
> Evidence?
None, other than asking my hygienist which setting I should personally use, and she told me don't go above 5. I trust her judgment so I left it at that.
Also one of the waterpik tips (mine came with like 6 different tips) literally has a warning label that says "CAUTITION: Only use this tip on the lowest setting". It's a much sharper tip and for fun I put the waterpik on 10 with that tip and aimed it at my sink. The stream looked so powerful I'm surprised it didn't cut the Earth in half. I can't say for sure what would happen if I aimed that at my gums but I'm not trying.
> Also, are there incorrect ways of using string floss that can cause dental problems?
Yes absolutely. If you jam the floss into your gums as hard as you can sure I'm sure you'll be able to do damage.
> "May" is not good enough. What is the evidence? There are plenty of people who use it at the full setting.
I think it's because everyone is different. I know people who are 70+ and brush their teeth once a day, never floss, haven't visited a dentist in 20+ years and have little to no cavities and very little plaque build up. That's with smoking too.
> If I do this, can you explain why I still need to use string floss?
From personal experience the waterpik I have on setting 5 with the standard tip has a much different feel to it than string floss. String floss feels like it cleans the side edges of my teeth better where as the waterpik seems better for dislodging things that I have trouble getting out even with string floss.
> Do you have any studies showing that string floss is more effective than Waterpik when a Waterpik is used properly?
No, I'm not a medical doctor or dentist. I'm just a dude who brushes their teeth.
- BeetleB 8y ago>> Do you have any studies showing that string floss is more effective than Waterpik when a Waterpik is used properly? >No, I'm not a medical doctor or dentist. I'm just a dude who brushes their teeth. I hope you realize that the whole discussion, and submission, is about the lack of scientific evidence to back these claims. Everyone is welcome to do whatever makes them feel better, but medical professionals should not give guidance that is not based on much evidence. Unfortunately, the dentists do not appear to have any more information than you do. Some have literally told me "Oh, we were just taught that in dental school" (regarding Waterpiks).
- nickjj 8y agoI just go by the results I see with my own eyes. I see food particles that come out of my mouth after using a waterpik (even after string flossing and brushing). Normally I waterpik first but during the testing phase I did it last because I was skeptical on what it would actually do for me. None of the staff at the place I goto say they learned it in dental school or hinted at doing it for the sake of doing it. They've been in practice for 20+ years and have seen a lot of patients. I'm guessing they have a large enough sample size to come up with something. In my opinion experience is often a good deciding factor when you have nothing else to work with.