The key thing, as with the cheaper model, is that the Cordless Advanced does a brilliant job of cleaning while covering a range of different needs. At its lowest intensity setting, you get a gentle clean that’s good for new users or more sensitive gums, while there’s enough welly at the top setting to clean deep between your teeth and all around the gum line. The attachments include two classic high-pressure jet tips for everyday use with different coloured collars, so you can share with a partner or family member. Secondly, a plaque-seeker tip with three thin tufts of bristles, which are designed to touch the teeth to gently dislodge plaque settled in crevices. This one works best for anyone with dental implants, crowns, bridges or veneers. The heads included are pretty standard although, again, I appreciated the inclusion of a tongue scraper. I found myself switching between the classic jet and the tongue scraper most often. The other two would work well for anyone with any dental concerns. Battery life We fully charge each water flosser and run it on its highest setting until the battery drains. We time how long it takes for the battery to drain.

Six heads including two classic jet tips, one toothbrush tip, one orthodontic tip, one periodontal tip and one tongue cleanerWe asked Dr Praveen Sharma, a scientific advisor to the British Dental Association and specialist in restorative dentistry if dentists advise using a water flosser for teeth. He says: 'As a dentist, the preference would be for mechanical cleaning in between teeth with interdental brushes, where the anatomy allows. Once it’s on, you need to run the nozzle slowly across the gum line, making sure you get between the teeth, starting with the lower teeth then moving to the upper teeth. Keep your mouth closed as much as possible, but let the excess water run out of your mouth into the sink as the jet won’t do anything in a mouth full of water. With the unit in the OFF position, allow gravity to drain the vinegar solution through the Water Flosser. Spotlight’s water flosser has the biggest water capacity of any I tried thanks to the 400ml reservoir. It was the only one I didn’t have to refill part-way through my clean. The modes include gentle, clean and pulse, plus a UV setting to sterilise any bacteria inside the water tank.

The most impressive thing about this Philips is the ‘quad stream’ technology. Whereas the tip on every other water flosser I reviewed offers a straight flow of water, Philips’ quad stream head is X-shaped, to separate the flow into four water jets (as shown on the box, above). The result was a faster clean, so although the water tank isn’t wholly impressive at 250ml, I only had to refill it once to cover my whole mouth. The best water flossers you can buy in 2023 1. Panasonic EW1511: Best water flosser for most people Key specs – Pressure: 10-100psi; Tank capacity: 651ml; Modes: 2 modes, 10 intensities; Tips provided: 4; Battery: Mains powered; Battery life: N/A; Charger: 12V power adapter; Dimensions: 119 x 965 x 292mm If your tip is removable, remove the tip, set pressure control dial to high, place the handle in the sink.

The best water flossers you can buy in 2023

Finally, the controls are really important. Using a water flosser can be a messy business, particularly if you’ve never used one before. Having easy-to-find and intuitive controls can help you avoid a nasty squirt in the face or across the bathroom mirror. How to use a water flosser The third type of head is an orthodontic tip, with a tapered tip to remove bacteria and food debris from around the teeth and under the gums. It’s especially effective for anyone with braces. Water flossers, also known as oral irrigators, are completely different from the painful, harsh and environmentally unfriendly ways of traditional flossing tape. So, what is a water flosser? Dr Khurrum Hussain, a dentist and clinical periodontist at Bupa Dental Care explains, “These devices use a steady high-pressure, or pulsating stream of water to target the areas between the teeth near the gum line.” We choose bestselling water flossers available at UK retailers and enlist a panel of testers to try them out. Each person tests all of the water flossers and we buy all those that we test.