Water flossing is more efficient than string flossing at removing dental plaque
Recent clinical studies and systematic reviews indicate that water flossers are at least as effective as—and in certain interdental or implant areas superior to—traditional string floss in removing dental plaque and reducing gingival inflammation.
The retrieved literature comparing water flossers (oral irrigators) to traditional string floss consistently demonstrates that water flossers either perform equivalently or show superior efficacy in specific hard-to-reach interdental regions and around implants. Systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials support the claim that water flosser use is an effective, and sometimes more thorough, method for interdental plaque removal.
Nozha Sawan, Afnan A. Ben Gassem, Faisal Alkhayyal, Aroob Albakri, Nada Al-Muhareb, Eman I. Alsagob. Effectiveness of Super Floss and Water Flosser in Plaque Removal for Patients Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/1344258
A randomized controlled trial found that a water flosser achieved greater plaque removal efficacy on distal interproximal molar surfaces compared to super floss.
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Subhashree Mohapatra, Ladusingh Rajpurohit, Rahul Mohandas, Sujeet Patil. Comparing the effectiveness of water flosser and dental floss in plaque reduction among adults: A systematic review. 2023. https://doi.org/10.4103/jisp.jisp_597_22
A systematic review concluded that the majority of studies favored water flossers over dental floss in interdental plaque reduction and reaching inaccessible areas.
Gandhi G, Masanam BSL, Nair AS, Semani N, Chopra A, Ramanarayanan V. Efficacy of oral irrigators compared to other interdental aids for managing peri-implant diseases: a systematic review.. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41405-025-00301-3
A systematic review noted that implant sites where oral irrigators were used showed significantly greater reduction in bleeding and plaque compared to sites where floss was used.
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