A dental patient shares his experience with Philips Sonicare AirFloss

Daniel G. Lebryk took to Amazon.com to boast about how the Philips Sonicare AirFloss has provided him with an alternative to flossing that works.

Editor’s Note: For this month’s column, we looked to one of the forums patients use most to share their opinions on products of all kinds: Amazon.com. Lucky for us, and for other smart consumers, people like Daniel Lebryk are putting together comprehensive reviews that offer real value. Here, he describes his experience with the Philips Sonicare AirFloss.

First impressions
I like this product. The gadget aspect of it is nice. The handle is about the diameter of two Sonicare toothbrushes, it’s pretty big, but feels really good in my hand. My teeth felt like I had been to the dentist for a cleaning. The AirFloss does power through built up food nicely. I didn’t floss for a few days, and all the spices, little bits of food, and Wonder White bread stuck between my teeth came right out. I can reach to the back of my mouth really easily, those molars tend to never get a flossing, they will now.

December 2011 dentist visit update
This is one of the best dental appointments I have ever had. My experience with the AirFloss is outstanding. I started using this device the day of my last check up 6 months ago. I have used it religiously for the past 6 months, and today is the day I got the results of using this. There is absolutely no question about it: my mouth and teeth are much healthier than they have ever been. Normally my gums show some bleeding during the cleaning, and they are usually somewhat red. Today, they were healthy and pink, with very little bleeding. The hygienist normally spends a long time scraping my teeth, today she spent maybe half the time. Both my dentist and hygienist said the device works and are happy with how much better my gums and teeth look; they will begin recommending it to their patients. I have a lot of trouble flossing or even remembering to floss (actually I pretty much hate flossing), I have no problem brushing my teeth twice a day. Adding this 15-second* step to my routine, and I can get a great check up -I’m totally sold.

August 2012 update
My teeth have never felt cleaner now that I use this at least daily, sometimes twice per day.
A lot of different people could use the AirFloss: People with big hands who find flossing rear teeth difficult. People with a disability where a caregiver needs to floss for them, or have difficulty holding floss with two hands.

Use it properly
The AirFloss takes some practice. My first few times I managed to drool all over my shirt and completely wash down the bathroom mirror. The secret is to hold your lower lip up, and make sure the little head is seated between your teeth and not on an angle. It’s also important to hold the unit with the tip up.

The device is incredibly simple. The instructions allow for water or mouthwash in the reservoir. I like the idea of mouthwash; it feels really great in my mouth.

*Sonicare suggests that the proper use of AirFloss takes 60 seconds.