It is arguably comparable to the Cordless Advanced, in fact you get longer usage times from it as the tank is bigger and the X shaped water jet allows for a larger area to be cleaned with each pass of the teeth and gums. Tongue cleaner: the nozzle has a spoon-like shape. This traps and removes plaque from the tongue, in an effort to prevent bad breath. Flossers with a water tank of around 200ml will achieve this. 45 seconds is enough time to get a thorough clean without having to refill. It can make the flosser slightly heavier but it is a worthwhile trade off. 2 or more pressure modes

d when you like. The most common nozzle is the ‘jet tip’. This is suitable for the vast majority of users. It is designed for everyday use, offering a deep clean between teeth and along the gumline. Most water flossers come with this type of tip included and available as a spare/replacement. It comes with a bulky charging stand that is less than ideal for travel. The Oral-B Aquacare 4 doesn't feel the best quality Water flossers are one of the less common forms of interdental cleaning. They are safe, with little ability to cause damage to the gums. Going by the studies that have been completed, it seems that water flossers do not fully remove plaque. Despite this, they can still have a positive effect on the gums, as we explain below. Waterpik publishes its own clinical research Dr Gemma Wheeler has researched and compared the different flossing methods. Although interdental brushes are ‘the best’ she says ‘you need to choose a tool which you feel happy using’ and for many a water flosser is that tool. It’s less fingers and thumbs and more about getting the job done. Barnes et al. Comparison of irrigation to floss as an adjunct to tooth brushing: effect on bleeding, gingivitis, and supragingival plaque. J Clin Dent, 2005.The 207ml tank does offer 45 seconds of use on the most powerful of the 3 pressure modes. This is about half the time of the Waterpik Ultra Professional. You don’t have to rush with either, but a compromise for a more portable option is the smaller tank. The Waterpik Cordless Advanced takes the top spot for best cordless water flosser. A good alternative is the Cordless 3000 Power Flosser from Philips. In practice, people are often disappointed. It is an expensive solution that doesn’t deliver the tooth whitening results most would expect from Waterpik calling it a “whitening” water flosser. It is only ever going to remove extrinsic staining. It won’t change the natural colour of the teeth like professional bleaching. On the main unit, there is a concave button that switches between the standard ‘Floss’ and ‘Massage’ mode, when pressed. The Nano, Ultra and Ultra Plus are all good options. But, there is little to differentiate between them. When you consider their features and price, our preference is the Ultra Professional.

The WP-660 is fairly compact with hose storage to keep things neat, although there is no place to store any excess power cable. It actually has a smaller profile than you might imagine and although it's bulky, it doesn’t feel as dominant on a countertop as you might expect There are lots of extra features that can be built into a flosser. These are in our opinion not essential. They are nice to have if they are included: 600ml+ water tank (countertop)But, it does not feel the best quality. The retaining clip for the water tank on the Aquacare 4 broke off in our testing. A button or switch on the flosser handle allows for much greater control of the water flow.This makes it easy to stop, start and pause the jet of water. No need to use the on/off switch on the countertop unit itself. Rotating nozzle (or handle for countertop) Using a water flosser in addition to toothbrushing reduces bleeding gums and plaque levels. Lyle et al. compared bleeding scores and plaque levels in two groups: those using only an electric toothbrush; those using an electric toothbrush + water flosser. They found that the group who used the water flosser had decreased levels of bleeding gums. The plaque levels were also lower in those using the water flossers. Although these results were of less statistical significance. Cleaning time We fill up the water reservoir on each flosser and time how long it takes for the tank to drain. If you have sensitive gums it is useful to be able to adjust the pressure. Water control button on the handle (countertop)