Philips Sonicare Rechargeable Airfloss HX8111/02 for $72.65 @ Walmart

i heard it is not as good as other brand
2cheap2eat said:   Anyone use this, how does it compare to regular floss on effectiveness?

2cheap2eat said:   Anyone use this, how does it compare to regular floss on effectiveness? Poorly. I don't think it does anything useful at all. I'm a sucker for anything that might let me avoid flossing, and this is the most useless of useless gimmicks I ever paid good money for.

Sadly, there's not much alternative for old-fashioned flossing, but there are some tools that might make it easier and they're cheap.

For regular floss, I think the flat-tape type of floss is easier and more comfortable than regular string floss.

Floss-on-a-stick products like the Reach flossers or floss picks are easy to use and also make it easier to get to the teeth in the back.

Also, there are a multitude of small picks and mini-brushes in different sizes that may be easier to insert between closely-spaced or uneven teeth. They range from very soft to more rigid. The very soft ones sometimes won't go in between very closely-spaced teeth. Of these mini-sticks, right now, I have in my arsenal:

1. G-U-M Go-Betweens in the smallest size, very soft brush.
2. Paro Brush-stick, rigid but too large to go between very closely spaced teeth (I think this is a European product, might not be available in the States).
3. Dentek Scrub-Betweens, rigid and small enough to insert in tight spaces.
4. OpalPix, fairly rigid, it's like a plastic toothpick. Gets into tight spaces.
5. Bryton Pick, which is a paper-thin file-type pick made of foil. Kind of like inserting silver foil between your teeth. It's a bit of an alarming idea but works well if you use it carefully, in front of a mirror, and it can get through the tightest spaces.

Most of these are available in very similar form from different manufacturers, at any supermarket or drug_store, and cost under 10 bucks.

Obviously, I gained all this knowledge from experience. I am prone to dental problems and prevention is cheaper than root canal. My routine starts with power tools - Sonicare brush, followed by a Waterpik. But as I have learned through painful trial and error, they aren't substitutes for flossing. I always use two or three of the various flossing tools I have, I figure that way all my teeth will get covered one way or another.