Oral irrigator (water pick) recommendations?

[madmartian]

I need to get an oral irrigator but there are so many options to chose from. I have no idea which one to get or even what to look for. Anyone have experience with these?

Thanks!

[Hello Kitty]

We have an Oxycare (http://www.oxyfreshww.com/oral_health/oxycare.asp)3000 that DH got from the Ortho. He loves it and thinks it's just awesome, but then, he's got braces.

I've tried it, and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with it besides make a mess. :o So if I had it for me (no braces) I would probably return it, or never use it again. ETA - it's not the unit itself, as it's very easy to use, and does it's job, but I just don't feel like I get any benefit from it, if that makes sense. I've had better results with the Sonicare toothbrush and regular flossing.

Did your dentist/hygenist recommend you get one?

[madmartian]

My dentist suggested that I try a water pick. Unfortunately, brushing well and flossing aren't enough for me.

Thanks for the recommendation, Seb's Kitty! Where do you keep it? It's pretty big, right? We don't have enough counter space in the bathroom as it is. Would it be too much of a pain to store in the cabinet?

Ugh, I can just imange water getting all over the place and making a mess of the entire bathroom and me. I would probably return it too if I didn't need it. I saw a shower faucet mount version. It's an eye sore, but it would minimize the mess.

Anyone have experience with other models?

[Hello Kitty]

It's not too big. We usually keep it out on the counter (we just have a little vanity top sink) because it reminds DH to use it. It looks like it has a wall-mounting bracket on the back. But it's not hard to store away, I just put the power cord in the container and in the closet it goes.

What I thought made it so messy is I was trying to spray my teeth with it (and thus had my mouth open). If you need it for gumline stimulation/cleaning (which DH does along with his braces) it would be a lot easier b/c you could probably keep your mouth closed.

A shower one would be pretty neat, although could you could use different solutions in it - mouthwash/flouride, etc...?

[madmartian]

Thanks Seb's Kitty. I'm glad to hear that doing the gums may be a little less awkward. I've obviously never used one before and I don't completely get how it's supposed to work. I guess I'll find out soon.

The one that your DH uses is pricey. I'm sure it's a good model but I would hate to "invest" in it and then not use it. I'm going to find out if my insurance will cover a portion of the cost. If not, I think it can come out of my Flexible Spending Account.

You can't use any solutions with the faucet mount, it usues the existing facuet's water and pressure to do it's job. My dentist didn't mention anything to me about solutions, though.