What we got here is a bimodal distribution!
People either sing the praises of the "Water Jet," or wish to relegate it to the dung heap of poorly designed consumables. Who's right? While there's no one answer to that, here are some things you might want to consider:
Pros:
1. Portability. The unit is rechargeable, and doesn't use a cord, thus increasing its portability and ease of use. It's also much smaller and more discreet than the traditional water piks that work with a reservoir.
2. Professional recommendations. Dentists and dental hygienists recommend it, and it apparently does improve oral hygiene. It removes things that brushing often leaves behind.
3. Two types of heads. Here, two heads are better than one. Water pik varies the diameter of the flow-thru attachment to achieve either gentle or not-as-gentle pressure.
4. Price. Definitely a good deal, especially on sale, and compared to similar products.
Cons:
1. The MOST frequent complaint here is that the unit eventaully won;t recharge, and that happened to me as well. However, this was not after 3 weeks or 3 months, but after about a year of use. That's annoying, but what's even more annoying is that the "water jet" doesn't HOLD a charge for very long. After just a few uses, you'll need to plug it in again.
ANother frequent complaint is that the internal reservoir is so small you have to fill it several times to clean your entire mouth. Again, this was my experience, but (again), it was not as bad as what some people have written. If I hurried, I could do it in one filling, but for a fairly thorough job, it does take two. Not terrible, as long as it keeps working (see paragraph above).
2. Professional recommendation. When this first came out, it had great appeal as a portable and easy-to-store device that cleaned--floss-like--in difficult areas around the gums. However, it's now apparent there are some longterm problems, especially with the batteries. Now, competition looms in the form of a similar (non-rechargeable) unit from Panasonic. If costs more, but if it produces similar results without the problems, I'm pretty sure dentists will recommend it as well (or instead).
3. Two heads. NOt a bad idea, although many people will find that they use only the higher pressure nozzle. However, if your gums are sensitive, you may want to work your way up from lower to higher. Basically, a good idea, especially since the price is so low.
4. Price. On sale for about $20, this is potentially a very cost efficient way to reduce your dental bills. However, one must balance that against the many reviewers who have registered complaints about the batteries, etc. The Panasonice is about 50% more expensive, and has the same small reservoir problem. However, if it proves more reliable, this will be the one to get. And that's my recommendation: Look at the competition (the Panasonic), and see what kind of reviews it gets. ALso, consider whether it would really be so bad (and, practically speaking, if you have the room) to have the traditional style water jet (whatever the brand) which plugs into the wall and has an external reservoir.
A cordless gadget you can use in the shower is a great idea. But the battery in this thing is really poor. I've gone through two of these now, and I'll have to buy something different. The first one was great at first, then worked for shorter and shorter periods after recharging. (Yes, I ran the battery all the way down before recharging to avoid the Nicad memory effect.) The central post in the socket where you plug in the charger corroded away after a month and a half. Bought a second one, and was careful to keep the socket dry. But it still works for shorter and shorter periods. Now it won't even last for one session after charging overnight. Buying a 3rd would be too dumb even for someone as stubborn as me.
For me this was exactly what I was looking for. Dentist says I need to use a waterpik, and I hated having the bulky unit with the water well on my countertop. This is a little bigger than my rechargable toothbrush. Definitely enough power, and enough water to do the job. I can do my entire mouth on one fill-up of water. I have had it for over two weeks now, and only recharged once.
This is the 3rd time I have bought the handheld cordless WaterPik. I love it when it works. It really helps, my periodontist has really noticed a difference. The 1st one lasted about 6 months or so, the 2nd about 3 months, and this last one I bought July 6th and here it is Sept 12, and it's ready for the trash bin. Works great when you first get it, but after the first charge wears down, it just gets weaker and weaker until it dies completely. I have followed the charging instructions to the tee, and it still died.... I really need this product, but it looks like I will have to try something else. - Oral Hygiene - Water Pik - Dental Hygiene - Oral Irrigator'
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