water pick recommendation for tooth implants

masraum · 08-08-2023, 06:37 PM

The missus just got a tooth implant. I know that this has been discussed here before.

Does anyone have any recommendations for or against any specific brands or models of water picks?

RNajarian · RNajarian's Garage

There are several. Obviously each has it advantages and drawbacks.

WaterPik is the most well know. The periodontist I refer to swears by it. Just be sure to use it at LOW power. One complaint the WaterPik has is the tubing/hose break after a year or so.

I use the SonicCare Water Flosser. The model I use has an internal tank so no hoses. It is not a constant stream of water. It pulses bursts of water. Again use on Low.

There are 100s of knock off brands which COULD be effective but I don’t have much experience with those.

I would suggest you stick with a main brand instrument.

masraum · 08-08-2023, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RNajarian

There are several. Obviously each has it advantages and drawbacks.

WaterPik is the most well know. The periodontist I refer to swears by it. Just be sure to use it at LOW power. One complaint the WaterPik has is the tubing/hose break after a year or so.

I use the SonicCare Water Flosser. The model I use has an internal tank so no hoses. It is not a constant stream of water. It pulses bursts of water. Again use on Low.

There are 100s of knock off brands which COULD be effective but I don’t have much experience with those.

I would suggest you stick with a main brand instrument.

Yearly hose replacements sound like a pain that I wouldn't want to deal with (or a hose at all).

How is it for cleaning the tank on the SonicCare? It seems like it would be important to keep the tank clean on the inside. I know that if you drink a bottled water and then refill it or out of some sort of refillable water bottle, the inside of the bottle gets NASTY.

Our toothbrush is an Oral-B and has lasted at least 12 years, maybe longer with no sign of dying or slowing down (knock on wood). I'll see if they have any options too.

Why only use the low power vs something higher?

RNajarian · RNajarian's Garage

Gentle irrigation is very effective, pressure washing your implant/teeth may do more damage than good.

With my Sonic Care I never had an issue cleaning the tank. I suppose you could dry it with a corner of a towel.

Oral B is the leader in electric toothbrushes. Definitely check out their products.

Your dentist may even have a coupon in his/her office

masraum · 08-08-2023, 08:23 PM

OK, thank you.

masraum · 08-09-2023, 04:13 PM

Wow, I thought there were several folks here with implants that would have more to say about water flossers.

stevej37 · 08-09-2023, 04:23 PM

I don't have any tooth implants...but I have tried various water flossers.
Everyone that I tried were too powerful for my gums. I realized that a good basic electric toothbrush would do better combined with regular flossing.

masraum · 08-09-2023, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevej37

I don't have any tooth implants...but I have tried various water flossers.
Everyone that I tried were too powerful for my gums. I realized that a good basic electric toothbrush would do better combined with regular flossing.

Apparently, with implants, they are pretty vital. It seems, at least according to one youtube video, the "Water Pik" brand is fairly low powered which is recommended (low power/pressure) by RNajarian.

john70t · 08-09-2023, 05:02 PM

I've got a Waterpik which is kept next to the shower.
Warm water is a must!
It pulses, has a small reservoir(4-5x to do the whole mouth), the ~30deg tip isn't accurate for back teeth, and has a refill cap which is far too small and annoying.
Other than that it works great. You can feel every tooth afterwards.

Warm salt water is a good rinse to swish with often. Ice water and hold will dull the pain when it flares up. Clove oil on a cotton swab or q-tip is an old topical local numbing agent. 50% hydrogen peroxide will lift everything bacterial cruddy but probably not a good thing to use on a regular basis long term. Do not swallow that by any means. VitC and Zinc and water to keep the pocket clean until it heals over.

masraum · 08-13-2023, 07:20 AM

I looked at Oral-B, Sonicare, and Waterpik. I focused on the battery/rechargeable units, vs the counter-top units because we don't want a big unit sitting on the counter. I wanted to like the Oral-B (our toothbrush has been great), but the reviews on Amazon were the least good of the bunch, and it was the most expensive. Lots of folks complained about the battery dying.

We went with the Waterpik. Received it today. Hopefully, it works well. I expect it to be fine.

RNajarian · RNajarian's Garage

Though we recommend rinsing with salt water as a way to reduce inflammation/bleeding I don’t know if salt water in the WaterPik reservoir will “gum up the works.”

Has anyone had a WaterPik clog using salt water ?