Feb
1
2012
New Way to Floss Your Teeth
Author: adminMost of us will admit that flossing is one of the least favorite things to do. It takes patience, concentration and a lot of awkward hand movement. Sometimes we wrap the floss around our fingers so tight that the fingertips turn blue. The truth is that many patients consistently floss 1 to 2x per week. There are also patients who don’t floss at all.
Philips Sonicare recently came to the rescue with the Airfloss. It is a device about the size of a electric toothbrush that is supposed make it more convenient to floss and replace the need for the string floss. I recently received mine and have been using it for about a week. The unit works by gently sending a puff of air and water between the teeth which in theory is supposed to disrupt the film of plaque collected on the surface of the teeth. This is repeated between all the teeth and both inside and outside surface.
Initially, I was skeptical of the device, however after using it for a week I became a fan. The process of flossing with this device is comfortable, quick, and simple. The unit has to be held upright to work properly therefore flossing between the lower anterior teeth around the tongue can be awkward. I must admit that the unit is not perfect. After flossing with the unit and then flossing with conventional string floss, certain areas had a small amount of remaining plaque. However, if used everyday I feel comfortable with the plaque control obtained with this device. At the same time my technique might not be perfected yet. As quick as the process takes you could floss the teeth twice with this unit in less time than using conventional string floss once.
This unit should not be confused with a water pick. A water pick sends a stream of water between the teeth which in not very effective at plaque removal. The Airfloss uses a concentrated burst of air and water droplets that forces the plaque and bacteria of the teeth. I would recommend it to my patients.
Click here to watch a demonstration video.
You can also download the clinical study here.
Buy the Airfloss here:
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