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250 of 251 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ultimately Disappointing, January 11, 2007
What we got here is a bimodal distribution!
People either sing the praises of the "Water Jet," or wish to relegate it to the dung heap of poorly designed consumables. Who's right? While there's no one answer to that, here are some things you might want to consider:
Pros:
1. Portability. The unit is rechargeable, and doesn't use a cord, thus increasing its portability and ease of use. It's also much smaller and more discreet than the traditional water piks that work with a reservoir.
2. Professional recommendations. Dentists and dental hygienists recommend it, and it apparently does improve oral hygiene. It removes things that brushing often leaves behind.
3. Two types of heads. Here, two heads are better than one. Water pik varies the diameter of the flow-thru attachment to achieve either gentle or not-as-gentle pressure.
4. Price. Definitely a good deal, especially on sale, and compared to similar products.
Cons:
1. The MOST frequent complaint here is that the unit eventaully won;t recharge, and that happened to me as well. However, this was not after 3 weeks or 3 months, but after about a year of use. That's annoying, but what's even more annoying is that the "water jet" doesn't HOLD a charge for very long. After just a few uses, you'll need to plug it in again.
ANother frequent complaint is that the internal reservoir is so small you have to fill it several times to clean your entire mouth. Again, this was my experience, but (again), it was not as bad as what some people have written. If I hurried, I could do it in one filling, but for a fairly thorough job, it does take two. Not terrible, as long as it keeps working (see paragraph above).
2. Professional recommendation. When this first came out, it had great appeal as a portable and easy-to-store device that cleaned--floss-like--in difficult areas around the gums. However, it's now apparent there are some longterm problems, especially with the batteries. Now, competition looms in the form of a similar (non-rechargeable) unit from Panasonic. If costs more, but if it produces similar results without the problems, I'm pretty sure dentists will recommend it as well (or instead).
3. Two heads. NOt a bad idea, although many people will find that they use only the higher pressure nozzle. However, if your gums are sensitive, you may want to work your way up from lower to higher. Basically, a good idea, especially since the price is so low.
4. Price. On sale for about $20, this is potentially a very cost efficient way to reduce your dental bills. However, one must balance that against the many reviewers who have registered complaints about the batteries, etc. The Panasonice is about 50% more expensive, and has the same small reservoir problem. However, if it proves more reliable, this will be the one to get. And that's my recommendation: Look at the competition (the Panasonic), and see what kind of reviews it gets. ALso, consider whether it would really be so bad (and, practically speaking, if you have the room) to have the traditional style water jet (whatever the brand) which plugs into the wall and has an external reservoir.
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