Emily Belfiore is an experienced lifestyle writer and editor with a passion for shopping. As a buying guides writer for Health, she covers topics spanning across the fashion, beauty, and health and wellness verticals and is always in pursuit of the best reviewer-vouched products. Emily started her career as an Associate Editor for SheFinds, where she created shopping-oriented content, and has since grown her freelance portfolio by providing lifestyle coverage for Allure, BestProducts.com, Byrdie, InStyle, Real Simple, The Quality Edit, WWD, and more. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications and Journalism from Marist College in 2016. In her free time, you can find her testing products for articles, watching beauty tutorials, or catching up on the latest binge-worthy show.

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If you want super-clean, healthy gums, consider a water flosser. Unlike dental floss, these handy gadgets literally repel food and bacteria from the crevices of your teeth using water pressure. Below, explore the best water flossers and learn how to incorporate the dentist-approved device into your oral care routine.

"They're handheld devices that use a small motor to send pressurized water out of a tip," explains Jon Marashi, DDS, a cosmetic dentist based in Los Angeles. "The tip is placed near the gum line in the mouth, and the water pressure removes plaque buildup along the gum line and in between teeth." It's a smart purchase for anyone, but because water flossing technology is able to reach deeper into the crevices between teeth (and even below the gum line), these products are particularly useful for those who have braces, implants, crowns, or other dental work that makes traditional flossing difficult, as well as those with gingivitis. "If you are a patient with crowns or bridgework, a water flosser is essential for long term home maintenance," adds New Jersey-based dentist Dr. Dan Di Cesare of Ironbound Dental. "If you have a prior history of gum disease (gingivitis or periodontitis), a water flosser is also essential."

And for some, it's an easier and less troublesome way to take care of their oral health."Let's face it, nobody likes to floss, although it is still the preferred method for removing plaque from under the gums and in between the teeth," says Laurence Grayhills, DDS, from the Academy of General Dentistry. Whether you're looking for an alternative to flossing or have dexterity issues, he says, "water flossers are another option for plaque removal." Dr. Marashi tells Health that he recommends these products to his patients. "It's easier than traditional flossing and can get access to hard-to-reach areas with greater ease," he says.

Oneimportant caveat: Dr. Marashi stresses that water flossers should be a supplement to regular floss, not a replacement. "In combination, my patients have much healthier gums as a result."

Aswaterflossers have becomemore mainstream, different models that meet different needs have appeared on themarket. So before buying just any device, Dr. Di Cesare suggests looking into its cost, design, and features. "I recommend cordless flossers that lend to easier use," he says. "There are also brands that come with a rotarytoothbrush."

He also recommends water flossers with attachment tips, as they ensure a deeper, more customized clean. For example,if you're someone with sensitive teeth, existing dental work, or braces, certain attachment tips will allow you to better navigate around your gums and teethand deliver a more targeted stream where needed. A model with various speed and pressure settings willalso come in handy forthese conditions.

Remember, like with any new device, there may be a learning curve when you use a water flosser for the first time. Dr. Leonard Umanoff, DDS,suggests beginners experiment with water temperature and the flosser's pressure settings. "​​It is easiest to begin from the back teeth and work your way towards the front teeth while directing the water towards the gumline," he says, adding, "water flossers can be messy and should be used over the sink."

Below, find the best water flossers that come recommended by the pros for cleaner, healthier teeth.

As far as water flossers go, Waterpik is often considered the gold standard brand. There are many different Waterpik models on the market, but the Aquarius, which is an Amazon best-seller, boasts 10 different pressure settings, 90 seconds of water capacity, a seal of acceptance from the American Dental Association (ADA), and—impressively—almost 15,500 near-perfect reviews. According to Colorado-based dentist Dr. Sage Pollack, DMD, it's a great model for tonsil stones, a.k.a. small lumps of hardened material caused by food and bacteria trapped on your tonsils, because of its massage mode, which she says "can help gently massage out your gums and keep the tonsils clean and free of bacteria."

"Wow, I should have bought this years ago," raved one reviewer. "No more bleeding gums. And after every use, my mouth feels like it was cleaned by a dental hygienist. Love, love, love this thing, and it's super easy to use."

If you're buying a water flosser for the whole family to share, Dr. Grayhills suggests looking for one that comes with different color-coded tips, "so each family member can identify their own attachment." We like the Zerhunt Cordless Water Flosser, which includes six different tips in a portable, easy-to-clean base. Its cordless design allows for 360-degree access to your mouth, which will help you remove plaque buildup between the teeth and gum line.

"My dentist advised me to purchase a water flosser and this one is great," shared one Amazon shopper, who is just one of the 3,700 customers to leave a five-star review. "I've been using it after brushing and, surprisingly, it flushes out hidden particles the brush and rinsing miss. The cordless feature means you aren't tied to the outlet or wrestling with a cord."

If the Zerhunt Cordless Water Flosser is out of stock during your next Amazon visit, shoppers assure that the Okdesu Cordless Water Flosser will also get the job done.

Dr. Grayhills personally likes the Philips Sonicare brand in addition to Waterpik. This sleek model can be filled with either water or mouthwash and is gentle enough to use on implants, veneers, and orthodontics. Just press the button to begin, position its angled nozzle, and get a cleaner mouth in just 30 seconds. It comes with a compact charging station that won't take up too much space on your bathroom counter.

If the Philips Sonicare AirFloss Flosser is out of stock at Amazon, you can also grab it at Best Buy, or you can try out the versatile and gentle Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser mentioned above.

A water flosser is an essential tool for braces wearers, as it can help remove food, plaque, and bacteria buildup between each bracket; if left unattended, that buildup can make you more prone to teeth scarring, cavities, and gum disease. With the Waterpik Cordless Water Flosser, you have the mobility and the pressure settings (three, to be exact) to ensure your whole mouth is clean. Dr. Pollack recommends it because of its orthodontic tip attachment, which was specifically designed for braces.

"It massages your gums while blasting all of the junk from between your teeth and braces if you have those," one reviewer wrote, adding that it worked "quicker, and easier" for them than traditional toothpicks and standard toothbrushes. "I use it every day after eating and I can't believe how clean my mouth feels now."

Another pick from Dr. Pollack, the Waterpik Water Flosser for Kids treats delicate gums with care. Intended for children ages 6 and up, it has three pressure settings and an ergonomic grip that helps them navigate the device on their own. It has an attachment tip to better suit those with braces and other orthodontic devices, plus tons of colorful stickers and labels for decoration. According to reviewers, it's also suitable for adults with sensitive teeth and gums.

"My daughter's orthodontist recommended we purchase this Waterpik immediately after her braces were put on," one customer explained. "It's been a lifesaver. It gets all the gunky food out of her teeth, and she says it feels great to really get in between her brackets and get her mouth clean."

A favorite of Arizona-based dentist Dr. Brian Harris, the Burst Water Flosser gently flushes out food, plaque, and bacteria from in between teeth with its precision flosser tip, which is powerful enough to dislodge stuck particles without causing irritation. It has three pressure settings for a customized clean, while its cordless design adjusts 360 degrees for total control. Fans of this water flosser say it's portable and compact, making it great for travel.

"After my appointment with my dentist today, my gums and my teeth [are] doing so well," one reviewer shared. "I am so happy."

Experts and water flosser fans agree that these devices are tricky to get the hang of if you're a beginner, which is why they recommend a simple and straightforward model like the Oral-B Water Flosser Advanced. Thanks to its microbubble-enriched stream and targeted tip, this cordless pick gives you full control of the speed and flossing intensity with its three customizable settings and attachments. Though reviewers say that it's not as powerful compared to other models, they point out that beginners can use that aspect to their benefit.

"The Oral-B Water Flosser Advanced is a great flosser, and works really well at getting the gunk out from between my teeth," one Amazon shopper said. "I like it for those places that are hard to reach with dental floss. It's a lot quicker to use and water is a great cleaner. Holds enough in the reserve for me to do my whole mouth without needing to refill."

You can upgrade your entire routine with the Sonic-Fusion 2.0 from Waterpik, which simplifies and enhances oral care with its unique two-in-one design. Its brush tip has two settings for optimal cleaning and seamlessly switches to a water flosser with 10 different pressures to choose from. The top-rated model also has a two-minute timer option with a 30-second pacer and a travel case to take it on the go. Amazon reviewers have given it a 4.6-star rating and close to 2,000 glowing reviews.

"How did I live without this?" one shopper asked. "I'm absolutely amazed at how clean my teeth are and I'm more impressed by how much food residue it removed from in between my teeth… This is a must-have and has made my Christmas shopping for my family next Christmas very easy."