Waterpik® Water Flosser: Significantly More Effective than String Floss for Removing Plaque
Evaluation of the Plaque Removal Efficacy of a Water Flosser Compared to String Floss in Adults After a Single Use
Objective
To compare the plaque removal efficacy of the Waterpik® Water Flosser to string floss combined with a manual toothbrush.
Methodology
Seventy subjects participated in this randomized, single use, single blind, parallel clinical study. Subjects abstained from any oral hygiene for twenty three to twenty five hours prior to their appointment. Subjects were screened and assigned to one of two groups: Waterpik® Water Flosser plus a manual toothbrush, or waxed string floss plus a manual toothbrush. Instructions were provided for each product used. Each participant brushed for two-minutes using the Bass method. Group One used the Water Flosser with 500 ml of warm water and Group Two used waxed string floss cleaning all areas between the teeth. Subjects were observed to make sure they covered all areas and followed instructions. Scores were recorded for whole mouth, marginal, approximal, facial, and lingual regions for each subject using the Rustogi Modification Navy Plaque Index.
Results
The Waterpik® Water Flosser was 29% more effective than string floss for overall plaque removal, 29% for approximal surfaces, and 33% for marginal surfaces.
Conclusion
The Waterpik® Water Flosser is significantly more effective than string floss in removing plaque for all tooth surfaces.