This is the place to post general questions and comments about all areas of orthodontic treatment. Before you post a question, use the forum's SEARCH tool to see if your question has already been answered!
New Members: YOU MUST MAKE A POST WITHIN 24 HOURS OF REGISTERING OR YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. In other words, don't sign up unless you plan to actively participate in the message board immediately. This is necessary to keep out spammers and lurkers with bad intentions. Of course, you can read most forums on the board without registering.
DO NOT POST FULL-FACE PHOTOS or personal contact information on this website. We have had problems with people re-posting members' photos on fetish websites. Please only post photos of your teeth, not your whole face. Keep your email and your personal information private. Thank you.
I am sold too........I think I will go out and buy one as soon as I get paid next time.....
It will be nice to not have to brush my teeth every time I have a snack. I have to admit....having braces is a heck of a diet plan. I have lost almost 10 pounds in the last month. I had been too lazy to loose the last 10 pounds from my pregnacy 4 years ago. As soon as I got the braces I started to loose. I simply stopped snacking because I didn't want to be brushing my teeth 40 times a day! I don't want to loose any more weight so I would like to start snacking again.....sounds like the Waterpik will definately help!
But just one quick question to those who use it regularly: do you tend to use it before or after you brush/floss your teeth
Sometimes before and sometimes after. Sometimes I just do a quick runthrough with the WaterPik after I've eaten. As soon as you get yours and get used to it you'll see that nothing makes your mouth feel as clean. My usual routine in the morning and night is brush then waterpik. I fill the resevoir on the plug in model completely full and waterpik till it is empty....at least twice a day. Then if I'm home I waterpik after meals or snacks. I don't use the cordless model much. I thought I would bring it to work but it turned out to be a little too big and too much trouble. And I don't like the way you have to fill it with water four times to do a good job. But I do use it when I travel.
I must admit that I hardly ever floss. I know the waterpik doesn't replace flossing, but the report from my last cleaning was the best I've ever had and that was after 6 months of having braces. I usually get a little lecture about my back molars and needing to floss more but last time everything was "just perfect, keep up the good work". And I don't floss. I'm not recommending anyone quit flossing, but for those of us who don't (and I know there are more out there besides me....confess), the waterpik helps. (I'm not sure I would have this faith in the cordless model though as it does NOT do the job that the corded model does. I would say the cordless model is good for getting stuck food out of brackets, but not cleaning the gum line like the corded model can)
Wired on Sep 16, 2005, left canine exposed on Oct 5, 2005, at 52 years old.
Many thanks Way Too Old for This and kk (yet again!). I'm looking forward to trying it out. I too am in a country that doesn't sell Waterpiks - so thank heavens for ebay! I'm thinking if I like it I might also buy one for my dad because he's been having gum problems - have you guys noticed an improvement in your gum health since using the Waterpik? Maybe this will be the magic gadget that will solve all his problems!
Last edited by claraleeza on Wed Oct 25, 2006 3:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
After reading all these posts I left the room to use my Water Pik.. and am I glad I did!! Thanks everyone for the good advice.
I'm 38 years old and I just got mine on yesterday (ceramics; tx time 18-24 mos), and have a couple of questions... sorry if you've heard them many times before:
Do adjustments hurt more than initial placement? I was expecting horrendous pain and so far had minimal soreness today. Also, nobody told me that my molars would not touch and THAT'S why you have to eat soft foods for a while, not b/c of pain. My top teeth hit my bottom brackets. My doc called me last night to check on me and he said that they should settle in a few days. Is this true?
Now I'm wondering if I made the right decision....
I just picked up a cordless model and was planning to finish dinner and go try it out. I spent a lot of time deciding which I wanted, but now it sounds like I should have gotten one with a tank?
Thanks [b][color=green]Karen[/color][/b], for the encouragement!
[b][color=darkred]Dramagyrl[/color][/b], have you tried the compact Pik yet? Is it possible to return it and get a larger model? I got the "midsize" model ($40 USD) which has the tank. There was another for $20 more, but I'm not sure what the difference was, except that it was blue!
If you can't return the small one, it would be good for traveling.
I chose the small one because of bathroom counter space, I don't have a lot of it. I just want to make sure it's still getting a nice deep clean.
I'm the kind who now matter how many times I brush my teeth, they always still feel grimy or yucky. I'd love to finally get a cleaner feel.
But if others are having success with the compact, I'll still give it a try. It's a $45 model, and the other one I looked at with a tank was like $60 Canadian. It had so many nozzles- I know I wouldn't put it to enough use. I'd just find what worked best and stick with it. At least the cordless has only two nozzles, far less confusion.
I think the multiple nozzles are for family use. They usually are color coded. Mine has two regular nozzles, a blue and a pink one, and two tongue scrapers, a blue and a pink one. So one set is hubby's and one set is mine.
There are cheaper models with only one set of nozzles. Maybe here in the US there are just more models to choose from. Target has some tank units the same price as the cordless.
Maybe its just because I am used to running my pik till the tank unit is empty that it seems like I can't get the job done without filling my cordless unit up 4 times.
Wired on Sep 16, 2005, left canine exposed on Oct 5, 2005, at 52 years old.
OMG hehe the first time I used my waterpik it looked like I had taken a shower with the shower door open.. water all over me, the floor, the mirror, the sink, the counter, and even the dog (who was trying to figure out what i was doing). It was a sight, but I think I got the hang of it now. every now and then I squirt water across the room. It truely is a practice makes perfect thing
I don't want to loose any more weight so I would like to start snacking again.....sounds like the Waterpik will definately help!
Happy Snacking 
