Top Ten Oral Irrigators

Adding an oral irrigator to your daily brushing and flossing routine will help you keep your mouth clean and your gums healthy. Oral irrigators work by shooting a focused stream of water in the middle of your teeth and along your gums, effectively removing trapped debris, bacteria, and plaque below the gum line.

Whether your dental hygienist has recommend an oral irrigator because of braces, gum disease, diabetes, or because flossing is difficult, or you plainly want to enhance your oral hygiene, any one of the ten irrigators reviewed here would be a good choice.

Dental Braces

1. Waterpik Wp-100W Ultra Dental Water Jet. The feature-rich Waterpik Ultra tops the list in terms of operation and affordability. Its delivers an adjustable 10 to 90 Psi and 1200 pulses per minute. Included in the box are six tips, including a "Pik Pocket" for ultra deep cleaning and an orthodontic tip that's great for braces. The unit's interesting and germ-free design means you won't mind leaving it on your bathroom counter.

2. Interplak Wj6R/Wj6Rw Dental Water Jet. Safe and effective for every member of the family, the Interplak has a hinged depot with a handle for easy refilling, four water jet tips, and a long three-foot hose for increased maneuverability. The cord stores neatly under the unit.

3. Waterpik Wp-450 Ultra Cordless Dental Water Jet. This handheld, rechargeable unit has dual pressure operate so you can select in the middle of diplomatic or deep cleaning. Comes with a jet tip, "Pik Pocket" tip, orthodontic tip, and tongue cleaner.

4. WaterPik Wp-65 Personal Dental Water Jet. The Waterpik Wp-54 has a covenant and interesting design which features a cover that doubles as the unit's water reservoir. Its singular jet tip delivers a pulsating stream to even hard to reach places. One drawback is that the unit requires some hand-operated priming, and can be loud if used when others are sleeping nearby.

5. WaterPik Wp-60W Personal Dental Water Jet System. The Waterpik Wp60 delivers 1200 pulses per itsybitsy for deep, proper cleaning in the middle of teeth and below the gum line. A pressure operate button lets you adjust the power of the stream. Comes with a singular jet tip and a tongue cleaner.

6. Waterpik Wp-70/Wp-70W family Dental Water Jet. With two color-coded jet tips and two tongue cleaners, the Waterpik Wp-70 is a good choice for families. Features a frosted 1000ml depot with level gauge. One drawback is that the unit is fairly noisy.

7. Interplak Wj2Cs covenant Rechargeable Water Jet. The Interplak covenant Rechargeable lives up to its name with its handheld design and on-unit depot that holds sufficient water for one itsybitsy of cleaning at a time. Its size makes it easy to store and a great choice for travel, but water pressure could be stronger.

8. Waterpik Wp-360W Hand-held Cordless Rechargeable Dental Water Jet. This hand-held unit includes two heads with separate diameters so you can select in the middle of a diplomatic or more qualified stream. The covenant design makes it easy to hold and portable. It's also waterproof so you can use it in the shower. The depot is small though, and may need to be refilled a few times while each use.

9. Conair Wj3Cs Interplak Dental Water Jet. Conair's Wjc3S has a small footprint and an interesting design that complement its good operation and affordable price. The depot is easy to fill, and you can select in the middle of high and low water pressure. The unit is cordless and requires three triple A batteries. As the batteries drain, water pressure decreases.

10. Oral B ProfessionalCare 8900 Dlx OxyJet Oral Care Center. This full-featured oral care unit includes both an galvanic toothbrush and an oral irrigator. If you're in the market for both, the 8900 will save you the extra money and space you'd otherwise devote to two detach appliances. What's unique about this oral irrigator is that it mixes air with water to produce bubbles that leave your teeth and gums free of plaque and bacteria.

Top Ten Oral Irrigators