Customer Reviews

Waterpik Ultra Water Flosser

5 star:		(1,537)
4 star:		(510)
3 star:		(137)
2 star:		(68)
1 star:		(127)

 

 

As far as "Water Piks" go this model is pretty snazzy and seems to work quite well. It comes with 8 attachments:

* 3 standard jets * 3 tongue cleaners * 1 pik pocket (cute name) for deeper gum purging and * 1 orthodontic tip (with small brush on end) for cleaning braces.

- The 'tongue cleaners' are worthless contrivances that simulate drowning.

You can clean your tongue much better with a standard tooth brush (although a coated tongue generally indicates the need for a dietary change, like more fruit, salad and less gunky foods).

- The orthodontic tip seems that it will work great for braces.

- The pik pocket (narrow tip) does not work as good as it should. Rather than increasing the water pressure the narrower tip actually slows it down. It may be convenient in some tight spots. It is good to have but seems to be of rather limited use compared with the standard jet tips.

The standard jet tips work quite excellently (4 stars) and will surprise you with how much junk is left behind by regular brushing and flossing.

- Most adult dental problems are caused by infrequent (below the gum line) professional cleaning and/or ignoring to floss. The Waterpik is designed to give you a significant 'edge' in keeping your teeth and gums in good condition by getting between the teeth and below (somewhat) the gum line to remove the 'left-behind gunk' before it turns into plaque, bleeding gums, and a myriad of problem$$$. Poor oral hygiene is the main cause of tooth-loss regardless of age.

- This "Ultra" model is powerful (100 watts) and does the job of power-washing your teeth and gums quite well. The design is stylish, has a relatively small footprint, a lid that houses the attachments and which also keeps the water reservoir covered.

- It is only a bit quieter than earlier Waterpik models and the hose could be about 7 inches longer for an optimum length. However, these minor design issues are insignificant with what this device accomplishes. It cleans between your teeth and along the gum line to assist greatly in preserving your pearly whites!

- Amazon's price of $49.00 (as of 9-06) is excellent and also includes free shipping. If the $49.00 seems a bit too steep then search Amazon for "WaterPik WP-72 Professional Dental Water Jet" priced at $33.26 with free shipping. The reviews are good for the WP-72 (some mechanical issues). However, both of these items carry a two year warranty.

- The attachments on this unit are different from those on many earlier units, so if you intend to get any additional accessories (e.g. nasal passage cleaner, etc. - no kidding) then they must be made for this specific model or similar models.

- This model has 10 pressure settings (a dial), however, anything below setting 6 would seem rather weak and insufficient (irrigation only). The handle also has a stop/start button for water flow (only). The power switch is safely on the side of the unit.

- Using a Waterpik is (can be) a bit quirky, splashy and squirty. It is, never-the-less, a most excellent tool to assist in promoting excellent oral hygiene and getting the bathroom all to yourself.

- I believe that the few dollars extra for this model is because this "ultra" model is a cut above. There are some Water Pik reviews stating that the recent models do not seem as durable as the earlier models. This most recent model (Ultra) seems integral, gets the job done well and is smaller and more stylish than earlier models.

I've always prided myself on my good teeth. I thought that flossing and brushing was enough...that was until I went to the dentist, and he said I had the beginnings of periodontal disease. That scared the hell out of me.

I went home and started using the Sonicare I had bought but never plugged in. That was good, but not enough - I bought a Waterpik because obviously flossing wasn't cutting it.

I had never used a Waterpik before, and it was some revelation! I'm still amazed that there are some Waterpik oldtimers who say this machine isn't strong enough...uh, for what? Peeling paint off a brick wall? This thing absolutely knocked my socks off when it came to the PRESSURE.

I started out at 2 and worked my way up to 7 - it still stings like mad, but I'm getting used to it by now. I put Listerine in the tank to increase the anti-bacteria result.

My dentist went on vacation, and I had to cancel another appointment, so it happened that almost two months had elapsed since the last time I had seen him. In that time, I faithfully brushed with the Sonicare four times a day and used the Waterpik at least once (several tankfuls of water and Listerine worth.)

Regarding the leaking people talk about - the only time the tank leaks, I notice, is if I put my fingers on the seal when I'm refilling it. If I'm careful to keep my fingers away from that seal, the tank is water tight.

So when I returned for my check-up, the dentist was AMAZED. He wasn't sure what I had done, but he said my gums looked pink and healthy! He had said initially I'd have to get my teeth cleaned every three months because I must be one of those people who gets a tartar build up quicker than other people...well, I had worked religiously on scaling back the plaque. (I had also bought a dental mirror so I could check the back of my front teeth for telltale plaque residue.)

Hmmm, no comment about that plaque...was it because there WASN'T any? My dentist asked me if I had been eating because there was so little build up (I had to tear that out of him because I KNEW he didn't want to give me credit for working that hard on my dental hygiene!)

The dentist HADN'T recommended a Waterpik, but I knew I had to go to the extreme to beat back the periodontal enemy. My teeth are so clean, they squeak!

This is my fourth or fifth water pik. I use it every night. They last about 4 years tops and then it's time to get another one. The size of this one is a nice feature, a little taller and narrower. Looks nicer out on the sink. The top part that holds all the accessories is terrific because it's a nice top on the reservoir and you always know where all the accessories and extras are. I read that someone keeps the reservoir filled and liked the top part so as to cover up the water. HELLO???? Why is anyone keeping water in there all day? Use it at night, empty it by using the water pik, and then cover it with the nice white top and go to bed!

The pik works great. The on-off switch is nice. The pressure control dial is accurate and responsive. It is a littler quieter than my last waterpik. It starts as soon as you turn it on. I keep the pressure control in the middle. After all my years of waterpikking & flossing, midrange is good for me. You'd think I'd be higher but no, midrange is a very strong pulse and good for me.

The reservoir is too small for me but NO PROBLEM. I keep a plastic wine glass in the bathroom and fill it up along with the reservoir. Midway through waterpikking, I dump the glass of water in the reservoir. No stopping and taking the reservoir off the base. I dump the water in while water-pik'ing and with the machine still on. In fact, I never take the reservoir off the base. I fill the aforementioned plastic wine glass with warm water and dump it into the reservoir. With my particular dollar store plastic wine glass, it takes 2 1/2 filled glasses of warm water and the other 1/2 is left for the end when I need just a little more water in the reservoir.

I really like the way this waterpik looks and functions. Having to replenish the water in the reservoir is not an issue for me at all. If I had to stop the pik, take the reservoir off the base, turn on the water to fill it, secure the reservoir tightly back on the base, that would get old quickly. Remember my tip about replenishing the water and you will love this waterpik.

EDITED ON 2-14-08: I still love this WaterPik. Everything I said above continues to be true. I just ordered this yesterday as a gift for someone and today I'm ordering it for someone else. A really really good WaterPik.

EDITED ON 5-19-12: This water pik continues to go strong. I use it every night in a effort to keep my teeth nice and fully intact and so should everybody! (Sonicare and floss, too; the whole shebang)

I'm not sure why they don't refer to this Waterpik with its model number, WP-100. That's what it is. (they've since changed the name from 'professional' to WP-100)

I have used Waterpiks over the years, and finally broke down an bought another after years of doing without. As far as their usefulness as a dental device, I think they're great. My dentist doesn't think that highly of them, but after paying him $5000 for dental surgery, maybe he just wants to assure himself of continued business.

I don't floss much, and I'm not that dedicated toothbrusher either. So when I use the pik, and there are always some food particles dislodged by it, even after flossing, I figure it must be doing some good.

As far as this model goes, it works as expected, but I don'tr find any improvments over the model I had 30 years ago. From the picture it looks bigger. So it has a smaller footprint than I expected, but the reservoir is also quite small. It's just big enough for a cursory cleaning without having to refill it.

The pressure is quite a bit lower than older models. I don't know if there is a legitmate reason for having a lower pressure, or if it's a matter manufacturing costs. I'd like a stronger jet for my preferences.

The hose that connects the handle is way too short. You really need to keep the unit right next to the edge of the sink, and bend over. Again, I find no reason to do this except cost savings.

Now it comes with several tips (30 years ago, there was only one flavor). Tounge cleaner, pick pocket, orthodontic tip, and plain vanilla. I can't say that any of the new designs adds anything to the operation.

I hardly would call this unit 'professional'. It feels like it will have a limited life, and is hardly what I would call robust. I think a more apt description would be 'Compact Basic'.

update 12/2/2006:

Older WaterPiks used to have pressure fit tips (and worked fine). This has a button on the handle to release the tip, and it is located right where your thumb would be when holding it. The tip is constantly popping out because of this design flaw. With the short hose, 16oz capacity, weak pressure, my disappointment with this unit is only growing. I wish I could find a 25 year old model which had none of these problems.

update 01/10/2007 - If I could, I'd reduce my rating of this unit to 1 star. The designers must have been on vacation when they released this thing. The handle has a knurled collar, which you'd think could be used to rotate the tip, but it doesn't. The tips are not keyed, so they won't necessarily turn when you rotate the collar. As I said, the release button for the tips is in a place where it's easy to press inadvertently. You can't turn the unit off and on with one hand due to its light weight. The hose is too short. The reservoir cover holds the extra tips, and is not convenient, nor do I trust it to keep the reservoir protected from ambient germs or bacteria. I really wish I could find one of the old models, which had none of these problems, so I could toss this one in the trash. Don't waste the extra money on this one, or if you have a old broken one, get it repaired instead of buying this thing.

Length:: 3:55 Mins

I'm very pleased with this Waterpik WP-100W water flosser. Prior to this I owned an Interplak Dental Water Jet, 1 each and I was quite happy with how long it lasted. That one lasted 3 years with daily use and started to leak at the handle so I decided it was time to buy a new one. Unable to locate the same thing locally, I decided to purchase the Waterpik WP-100W and so far I find it superior to the Interplak.

It's got a small footprint so doesn't take up much counter space. The Interplak didn't take up much space either, but the Interplak was very light and it was more difficult to remove the water reservoir than with the Waterpik. The Waterpik is heftier and feels more substantial and better built.

I was also quite surprised at how quiet it is. Compared to the Interplak which made a LOT of noise, this is very quiet.

I think the water reservoir has more than enough capacity for me and I seldom fill it all the way to the top. Usually about 3/4 of the way to get a thorough amount of flossing action.

A large variety of tips are included, most of which I never use. But if you have orthodontic appliances, then there are tips that you will appreciate for getting around the orthodontics. there is only one standard tip however so if you are not the only person using the machine, you'll have to purchase some additional "normal" tips for other users.

I have the pressure setting set to 7 and it's plenty powerful enough for me.

The handle has a really handy button to temporarily stop the flow of water and I also really like the rotating tip feature that lets you easily manipulate the tip position while its in your mouth without having to do contortions with your hand and arm.

It's a winner. Now I just hope it lasts for years. I'll update my review if necessary.

My husband and I really enjoyed the ultra water pik for about one month before it started leaking and became unusable. We've had the same problem with other counter top irrigators and got tired of buying and disposing of them so we switched to a redipik which simply attaches/detatches to and from bathroom faucet easily and takes up no counter space. Problem solved quickly and inexpensively and it's more convenient since you have more control over the flow and can use it as long as you want to - no tank to refill.

Great looking, excellent pressure controls, reasonable price, assortment of tips, just perfect water reservoir. Excellent system to complement your oral hygiene. Dislodges food particles that regular brushing leaves behind. But, what good is it if all of these good features are opaqued by repeated leakage from a bad engineered handle? In the 6 months I have owned the waterpik it has become necessary to replace the handle 3 times.
This last time I was determined to figure out once and for all what the exact source of the problem is, so I dissected the failed handle and sure enough immediately becomes apparent the design flow and why is bound to leak and fail. There is an O ring loosely encased in a small plastic chamber in the hose assembly the O ring with not much to keep it in place soon becomes misaligned and disengages the water tip causing a major leak. Since that part is sealed there is no way to service it therefore the entire hose assembly must be replaced. The question is why the company has not come up with a new engineered handle that takes care of this and rather keeps supplying the failed units with handles that they know will fail too. Bottom line I do not recommend buying the Waterpik Ultra unless the handle assembly problem is corrected once and for all to prevent leakage, for me replacing handles every two months however free is not worth the frustration.

I have contacted WaterPik for a replacement handle three times, and each time the new handle breaks within two weeks. Water leaks (pours!) out of the connecting point between handle and tip, and also at the release button --so much that you lose all pressure. I've spent 12 weeks trying to get a fully functional model, and have given up. I am now returning the whole unit to Amazon, but have had to deal with their "30 day return policy" problems to boot. I should have just returned the unit when the first handle gave out. Meanwhile, I picked up a HydroFloss from my dentist today, and it beats the socks off of the WaterPik. A bit noisier, but better built, better jet action, and larger tank capacity.

I've been using my WP-100 Ultra Dental Water Jet for nearly a month and am quite happy with it. I chose this model because it has a smaller footprint than most of the others and looks attractive on the bathroom counter. But it works great, also. Even though I floss daily, the Waterpik removes particles of food the floss just can't reach. I highly recommend this machine!

Unfortunately, I didn't read a lot of the feedback concerning this item and Waterpik, the company, until after I received this item and it stopped working 6 days later. My son absolutely loved it the 6 days it did work, but on day 6, all it would do is make a loud buzzing noise. Too my surprise, several customers had left feedback describing the same issue that I had with my unit. But worse than the defective unit, is the Customer "No Service" that Waterpik provides. I also saw those warning too late also. I followed Amazon's advice and tried to contact Waterpik about my defective unit. My first warning should have been that there was no customer service telephone number anywhere on the Waterpik site. The site says to email them. I did, twice. It has been 2 weeks and they still have not responded. Unlke a lot of customers, I stayed within Amazon's 30-day refund window and asked for my money back. You may get lucky, but this company definitely has some severe quality control and customer service issues that need to be resolved.