This Water Flosser Is a Saviour If You Dread the Dentist

This Water Flosser Is a Saviour If You Dread the Dentist
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I blame three solid years of braces for my obsessive need to have clean, white teeth. From ages 12 to 15 years old, I brushed my teeth after every meal and religiously carried around those mini toothbrushes so that I could clean between my braces on the fly. What I really needed back then was a Waterpik Sonic Fusion water flosser. 

Now, as an adult, I’m still so conscious of having good oral hygiene, so when I was recently given the chance to try the Waterpik Sonic Fusion (an electric toothbrush and water flosser in one) I was thrilled to give it a whirl. Pre-warning: I’ve never actually used a water flosser before because they straight up just look messy, but I’ve always been fascinated by them and the dentist-like clean they offer.

waterpik sonic fusion water flosser austalia Waterpik water flosser water flosser
Waterpik Sonic Fusion $354.95

So how does it work?

The Sonic Fusion features a small water jet inside the head of the toothbrush that can be adjusted to shoot water between your teeth, removing any food or plaque build-up so you can brush and floss in unison.

To set up your Waterpik water flosser, you simply connect it to a power outlet, fill the clear reservoir with water and plug your toothbrush into the dock. To use it as a regular electric toothbrush you simply need to charge it using the dock and you’re given about two weeks of brushing. However, if you want to use the water flossing function, you’ll need to connect the brush to the dock via the little hose that sits behind the brush and use it while plugged in.

Operating the toothbrush itself is super easy, just press the brush button to brush, the floss button to floss and if you’d like to do both at the same time, hit both. Simple. It also has a built-in two-minute timer so you know when you’ve been brushing for long enough, while I wouldn’t recommend flossing for the full two minutes, it’s a lot, you can just hit the floss button to switch the function off while you finish brushing. 

Is water flossing as effective as standard flossing?

While they both floss, it’s water flossing that covers more surface area of the tooth and is good for flushing gunk from in and around your teeth. While regular flossing is best for the tight spaces between your teeth and below the gums as it’s able to wrap around the teeth to help prevent tartar buildup and cavities. Water flossers are great for people with braces and the like as they can get in and around all the wiring, unlike your standard floss. Most dentists will recommend that you brush your teeth, floss with standard floss and then go in with a water flosser to finish off the job. 

My experience

When you use the floss feature for the first time I recommend starting on a lower setting otherwise things can get a little messy. Once you get used to the pressure and figure out the best way to manoeuvre it around your mouth, you can up the intensity.  

I found I got the best clean when I brushed for the full two minutes before flossing for 30 seconds to one minute while I worked the water flosser around my mouth. While I won’t ditch regular flossing completely, this two-in-one water flosser and toothbrush makes it easy to get a dentist-feel daily clean, so why wouldn’t I use it regularly?! 

Things to keep in mind

My only real issue with the Sonic Fusion, and it’s a minor one, is that you’re tethered to the dock while you floss. And since I’m big on multitasking, especially in the AM, it means that I need to be near the sink and have the additional minutes to set it all up.

While the Waterpik Sonic Fusion isn’t exactly cheap, it’ll set you back $354.95, it does offer a dentist level clean (and is cheaper than a trip to one), so when you think about it that way, it could save you money in the long run if you brush and floss as regularly as you should. Or if like me, you’re obsessed with a good clean every time you brush, it’s well worth the spend. Plus, a replacement brush head is around $35, so the $354.95 is a one-off cost and you’ll have the brush-base/flosser for years to come.

Scroll to shop Waterpik’s Sonic Fusion Toothbrush/Flosser and regular water flossers in Australia.

Waterpik Sonic Fusion $354.95

waterpik sonic fusion water flosser austalia Waterpik water flosser water flosser
Image: The Shaver Shop

You can buy the Waterpik Sonic Fusion $354.95 from Shaver Shop here and Amazon here.

Where to buy regular water flossers in Australia

If the Waterpik Sonic Fusion isn’t exactly in your price range, you can always opt for a stand alone water flosser. These can range anywhere from $100 to $200 online in Australia, and are currently on sale at the Shaver Shop. 


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At Lifehacker, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

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