Brushing alone only cleans about 65% of the tooth’s surface, which is the outer part, leaving about 35%, which is the part that is in between the teeth, untouched and ready to house bacteria. Mouthwash can remove most of the bacteria, but the complete removal of the plaque that builds up in between the teeth requires mechanical disruption by flossing. The Waterpik TM uses pressure to push the food out but it will not compare to what flossing does as we control the floss to grab the food out by being able to feel how much pressure to apply. Of course, if you do not like to floss but will use the Waterpik TM , then I cannot badger you and appreciate that you are taking extra time beyond the 2 minutes for brushing. My routine is as follows: Waterpik TM to get most of the food out, floss to fine tune then brush my teeth and tongue. This takes about 5 minutes but flossing has been shown to add about 6 years to your life as you are removing bacteria that would otherwise live in your mouth and continue on to the rest of your body and create additional health problems that will shorten your life. We floss to stay healthy and keep our teeth so we can continue to enjoy our favorite foods. Watch our video above for how to use the Waterpik TM effectively and call us if you have any questions!