Waterpik Ultra Water Flosser Review.
"Waterpik first timer (for the product AND periodontal disease!)" 2007-12-01
By Katy Lake (The People's Republic of New Jersey)
I've always prided myself on my good teeth. I thought that flossing and brushing was enough...that was until I went to the dentist, and he said I had the beginnings of periodontal disease. That scared the hell out of me.
I went home and started using the Sonicare I had bought but never plugged in. That was good, but not enough - I bought a Waterpik because obviously flossing wasn't cutting it.
I had never used a Waterpik before, and it was some revelation! I'm still amazed that there are some Waterpik oldtimers who say this machine isn't strong enough...uh, for what? Peeling paint off a brick wall? This thing absolutely knocked my socks off when it came to the PRESSURE.
I started out at 2 and worked my way up to 7 - it still stings like mad, but I'm getting used to it by now. I put Listerine in the tank to increase the anti-bacteria result.
My dentist went on vacation, and I had to cancel another appointment, so it happened that almost two months had elapsed since the last time I had seen him. In that time, I faithfully brushed with the Sonicare four times a day and used the Waterpik at least once (several tankfuls of water and Listerine worth.)
Regarding the leaking people talk about - the only time the tank leaks, I notice, is if I put my fingers on the seal when I'm refilling it. If I'm careful to keep my fingers away from that seal, the tank is water tight.
So when I returned for my check-up, the dentist was AMAZED. He wasn't sure what I had done, but he said my gums looked pink and healthy! He had said initially I'd have to get my teeth cleaned every three months because I must be one of those people who gets a tartar build up quicker than other people...well, I had worked religiously on scaling back the plaque. (I had also bought a dental mirror so I could check the back of my front teeth for telltale plaque residue.)
Hmmm, no comment about that plaque...was it because there WASN'T any? My dentist asked me if I had been eating because there was so little build up (I had to tear that out of him because I KNEW he didn't want to give me credit for working that hard on my dental hygiene!)
The dentist HADN'T recommended a Waterpik, but I knew I had to go to the extreme to beat back the periodontal enemy. My teeth are so clean, they squeak!
"LONG TIME WATER PIK'er: THIS IS A GREAT ONE" 2007-01-15
By Marge Teilhaber (Fort Lee, NJ)
This is my fourth or fifth water pik. I use it every night. They last about 4 years tops and then it's time to get another one. The size of this one is a nice feature, a little taller and narrower. Looks nicer out on the sink. The top part that holds all the accessories is terrific because it's a nice top on the reservoir and you always know where all the accessories and extras are. I read that someone keeps the reservoir filled and liked the top part so as to cover up the water. HELLO???? Why is anyone keeping water in there all day? Use it at night, empty it by using the water pik, and then cover it with the nice white top and go to bed!
The pik works great. The on-off switch is nice. The pressure control dial is accurate and responsive. It is a littler quieter than my last waterpik. It starts as soon as you turn it on. I keep the pressure control in the middle. After all my years of waterpikking & flossing, midrange is good for me. You'd think I'd be higher but no, midrange is a very strong pulse and good for me.
The reservoir is too small for me but NO PROBLEM. I keep a plastic wine glass in the bathroom and fill it up along with the reservoir. Midway through waterpikking, I dump the glass of water in the reservoir. No stopping and taking the reservoir off the base. I dump the water in while water-pik'ing and with the machine still on. In fact, I never take the reservoir off the base. I fill the aforementioned plastic wine glass with warm water and dump it into the reservoir. With my particular dollar store plastic wine glass, it takes 2 1/2 filled glasses of warm water and the other 1/2 is left for the end when I need just a little more water in the reservoir.
I really like the way this waterpik looks and functions. Having to replenish the water in the reservoir is not an issue for me at all. If I had to stop the pik, take the reservoir off the base, turn on the water to fill it, secure the reservoir tightly back on the base, that would get old quickly. Remember my tip about replenishing the water and you will love this waterpik.
EDITED ON 2-14-08: I still love this WaterPik. Everything I said above continues to be true. I just ordered this yesterday as a gift for someone and today I'm ordering it for someone else. A really really good WaterPik.
"Water Pic great purchase for clean Teeth and Gums" 2009-01-09
By LE Reed (Brooklyn, NY USofA)
My dentist suggested that I get a dental flosser/maintenance device. I purchased this Water Pic thingy and so far I have not been dissapointed. My teeth and gums feel clean and free of the annoying food particles that get stuck in between and around my teeth. The device is easy and quick to use and it is not messy. The most important thing is to set the pressure to a comfortable level.and to get all of the teeth. I am giving one to my Brother as a gift.
"highly recommended" 2006-11-25
By NNesona (Kings Park, NY USA)
I had a personal waterpik for years, one of the original small models. Had to replace the tubing once, but other than that it kept chugging along with no problems, and probably would have outlasted me, if it were not for the loud noise it was making. I got used to it -- for my money, I'll take having healthy gums over a little annoyance like this any time, but when I saw someone on Amazon to mention that this model is unusually quiet, I decided to retire my old one and give this one a try. A discount from Amazon plus free shipping helped to decide too, of course.
I've used it for couple of months now, at least once a day, and so far, I love it! It is indeed very quiet, and with no trade offs in pump performance that I could tell. One other very useful new feature is that the nozzle can be rotated. The rotator wheel is on the handle just where your fingers are, so you can use it easily with the same hand, instead of having to twist your neck and/or the tubing, the most fragile component of the system. Just turn the nozzle where you want to be in your mouth. When done, the tubing coils itself in in its little niche with no effort. There a little button on the handle that releases the nozzle that actually works. There is also another button on the handle that can be used to pause water flow, but I'm not sure how useful that feature is, because it does not pause the pump, just block water flow, causing minor shaking and racket.
Among other things to like about it is a small footprint and a transparent water container. The container comes with a cover, so that you can leave it with water in and not worry about some junk and stuff getting in and ending up in your mouth. I wish the container was a lighter shade of blue, but you can still see through, so you don't run out of water. It's probably not good for the pump to run dry.
There are also all kinds of extra different nozzle types. I haven't used them, so I can't comment on them, except to note the way they are tucked in inside the container's cover until you need them, rather than sent in in a plastic bag, with you having to put them somewhere, and then remember where to find them when needed. What you get does not include the waterpik's new sinus irrigation nozzle, and that is simply because it does not fit this model's handle. I'd guess pretty soon they will be making one for this model too, but not now.
And finally, it's just very pleasing to look at. I saw other reviewers nitpicking on this and that not to their liking. Not that I disagree, but come on, nothing is perfect. I also saw others reporting problems like water leaking out. Can't substantiate any of them. If you have such a problem, it's not an inherent problem. Must be a defective gasket somewhere that just needs to be replaced under warranty. Overall, it's just a great little appliance. Do yourself a favor and get one.
"Excellent design updates" 2007-02-16
By E. Karasik (Washington, DC United States)
Waterpik is a great product, and my dental hygienist agrees that using one has made all the difference in the health of my teeth and gums. I had to scrap my old one after my cat chewed through the little tube leading to the jet, and was very pleasantly surprised to discover that the design has been improved in several ways: (1) it has a smaller "footprint" which takes much less space on my bathroom counter; (2) it is significantly quieter, so I can now use it late at night without fear of disturbing the neighbors; (3) the little tube to the jet is now designed in such a manner that when you replace the jet in the bracket after use, the tube coils neatly and disappears into the body of the device (safe from little cat teeth); and (4) the whole device is more streamlined and attractive-looking. Others have correctly noted that the well for holding water is not as large as in the older models, however I have not found this to be a problem, and it only takes a second to add more water if you need it. Nice to see a product that has been intelligently redesigned!
By Katy Lake (The People's Republic of New Jersey)
I've always prided myself on my good teeth. I thought that flossing and brushing was enough...that was until I went to the dentist, and he said I had the beginnings of periodontal disease. That scared the hell out of me.
I went home and started using the Sonicare I had bought but never plugged in. That was good, but not enough - I bought a Waterpik because obviously flossing wasn't cutting it.
I had never used a Waterpik before, and it was some revelation! I'm still amazed that there are some Waterpik oldtimers who say this machine isn't strong enough...uh, for what? Peeling paint off a brick wall? This thing absolutely knocked my socks off when it came to the PRESSURE.
I started out at 2 and worked my way up to 7 - it still stings like mad, but I'm getting used to it by now. I put Listerine in the tank to increase the anti-bacteria result.
My dentist went on vacation, and I had to cancel another appointment, so it happened that almost two months had elapsed since the last time I had seen him. In that time, I faithfully brushed with the Sonicare four times a day and used the Waterpik at least once (several tankfuls of water and Listerine worth.)
Regarding the leaking people talk about - the only time the tank leaks, I notice, is if I put my fingers on the seal when I'm refilling it. If I'm careful to keep my fingers away from that seal, the tank is water tight.
So when I returned for my check-up, the dentist was AMAZED. He wasn't sure what I had done, but he said my gums looked pink and healthy! He had said initially I'd have to get my teeth cleaned every three months because I must be one of those people who gets a tartar build up quicker than other people...well, I had worked religiously on scaling back the plaque. (I had also bought a dental mirror so I could check the back of my front teeth for telltale plaque residue.)
Hmmm, no comment about that plaque...was it because there WASN'T any? My dentist asked me if I had been eating because there was so little build up (I had to tear that out of him because I KNEW he didn't want to give me credit for working that hard on my dental hygiene!)
The dentist HADN'T recommended a Waterpik, but I knew I had to go to the extreme to beat back the periodontal enemy. My teeth are so clean, they squeak!
By Marge Teilhaber (Fort Lee, NJ)
This is my fourth or fifth water pik. I use it every night. They last about 4 years tops and then it's time to get another one. The size of this one is a nice feature, a little taller and narrower. Looks nicer out on the sink. The top part that holds all the accessories is terrific because it's a nice top on the reservoir and you always know where all the accessories and extras are. I read that someone keeps the reservoir filled and liked the top part so as to cover up the water. HELLO???? Why is anyone keeping water in there all day? Use it at night, empty it by using the water pik, and then cover it with the nice white top and go to bed!
The pik works great. The on-off switch is nice. The pressure control dial is accurate and responsive. It is a littler quieter than my last waterpik. It starts as soon as you turn it on. I keep the pressure control in the middle. After all my years of waterpikking & flossing, midrange is good for me. You'd think I'd be higher but no, midrange is a very strong pulse and good for me.
The reservoir is too small for me but NO PROBLEM. I keep a plastic wine glass in the bathroom and fill it up along with the reservoir. Midway through waterpikking, I dump the glass of water in the reservoir. No stopping and taking the reservoir off the base. I dump the water in while water-pik'ing and with the machine still on. In fact, I never take the reservoir off the base. I fill the aforementioned plastic wine glass with warm water and dump it into the reservoir. With my particular dollar store plastic wine glass, it takes 2 1/2 filled glasses of warm water and the other 1/2 is left for the end when I need just a little more water in the reservoir.
I really like the way this waterpik looks and functions. Having to replenish the water in the reservoir is not an issue for me at all. If I had to stop the pik, take the reservoir off the base, turn on the water to fill it, secure the reservoir tightly back on the base, that would get old quickly. Remember my tip about replenishing the water and you will love this waterpik.
EDITED ON 2-14-08: I still love this WaterPik. Everything I said above continues to be true. I just ordered this yesterday as a gift for someone and today I'm ordering it for someone else. A really really good WaterPik.
By LE Reed (Brooklyn, NY USofA)
My dentist suggested that I get a dental flosser/maintenance device. I purchased this Water Pic thingy and so far I have not been dissapointed. My teeth and gums feel clean and free of the annoying food particles that get stuck in between and around my teeth. The device is easy and quick to use and it is not messy. The most important thing is to set the pressure to a comfortable level.and to get all of the teeth. I am giving one to my Brother as a gift.
By NNesona (Kings Park, NY USA)
I had a personal waterpik for years, one of the original small models. Had to replace the tubing once, but other than that it kept chugging along with no problems, and probably would have outlasted me, if it were not for the loud noise it was making. I got used to it -- for my money, I'll take having healthy gums over a little annoyance like this any time, but when I saw someone on Amazon to mention that this model is unusually quiet, I decided to retire my old one and give this one a try. A discount from Amazon plus free shipping helped to decide too, of course.
I've used it for couple of months now, at least once a day, and so far, I love it! It is indeed very quiet, and with no trade offs in pump performance that I could tell. One other very useful new feature is that the nozzle can be rotated. The rotator wheel is on the handle just where your fingers are, so you can use it easily with the same hand, instead of having to twist your neck and/or the tubing, the most fragile component of the system. Just turn the nozzle where you want to be in your mouth. When done, the tubing coils itself in in its little niche with no effort. There a little button on the handle that releases the nozzle that actually works. There is also another button on the handle that can be used to pause water flow, but I'm not sure how useful that feature is, because it does not pause the pump, just block water flow, causing minor shaking and racket.
Among other things to like about it is a small footprint and a transparent water container. The container comes with a cover, so that you can leave it with water in and not worry about some junk and stuff getting in and ending up in your mouth. I wish the container was a lighter shade of blue, but you can still see through, so you don't run out of water. It's probably not good for the pump to run dry.
There are also all kinds of extra different nozzle types. I haven't used them, so I can't comment on them, except to note the way they are tucked in inside the container's cover until you need them, rather than sent in in a plastic bag, with you having to put them somewhere, and then remember where to find them when needed. What you get does not include the waterpik's new sinus irrigation nozzle, and that is simply because it does not fit this model's handle. I'd guess pretty soon they will be making one for this model too, but not now.
And finally, it's just very pleasing to look at. I saw other reviewers nitpicking on this and that not to their liking. Not that I disagree, but come on, nothing is perfect. I also saw others reporting problems like water leaking out. Can't substantiate any of them. If you have such a problem, it's not an inherent problem. Must be a defective gasket somewhere that just needs to be replaced under warranty. Overall, it's just a great little appliance. Do yourself a favor and get one.
By E. Karasik (Washington, DC United States)
Waterpik is a great product, and my dental hygienist agrees that using one has made all the difference in the health of my teeth and gums. I had to scrap my old one after my cat chewed through the little tube leading to the jet, and was very pleasantly surprised to discover that the design has been improved in several ways: (1) it has a smaller "footprint" which takes much less space on my bathroom counter; (2) it is significantly quieter, so I can now use it late at night without fear of disturbing the neighbors; (3) the little tube to the jet is now designed in such a manner that when you replace the jet in the bracket after use, the tube coils neatly and disappears into the body of the device (safe from little cat teeth); and (4) the whole device is more streamlined and attractive-looking. Others have correctly noted that the well for holding water is not as large as in the older models, however I have not found this to be a problem, and it only takes a second to add more water if you need it. Nice to see a product that has been intelligently redesigned!
