Dr Sharma recommends using a water flosser alongside brushing. He says, 'It’s best done first thing in the morning, ideally before breakfast or 30 minutes after, and last thing at night before going to bed.' 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.

Water flossers can be used in combination with interdental brushes where the gaps in between the teeth allow,' says Dr Sharma. There are three pressure settings which offer up to 2,000 water pulsations per minute, plus a DIY pulse button and two jet tips with different coloured collars so you can share the unit with someone else. It’s a little disappointing that this water flosser only comes with one type of jet tip, although I suppose that’s part of the reason Ordo can keep the cost down. Eat well, live better and stay healthy. Sign up for our free monthly Food & Health newsletter, it's free monthly If this process fails to start the flow of water, insert a jet tip and gently draw on the tip as you would a drinking straw. It also scores extra points for bundling four tips, with the standard and orthodontic tips joined by a plaque-seeking tip for cleaning around crowns and implants, plus a tongue-cleaning tip for scraping the tongue and battling stinky breath. There’s room for improvement, but this is still a great water flosser for anyone who wants to give one a try.

Ordo is an eco-friendly oral hygiene company determined to keep innovative dental hygiene within your budget. Their brand new water flosser is dentist-approved and competes with higher end products in terms of features and performance. 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.

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.” 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. How do they work? In most cases, they fire a stream of water under pressure around the gum line and into the gaps between your teeth. This removes any food particles left behind after brushing and chips away at any plaque. They’re particularly good in areas of the mouth where you might struggle to floss, and can also help clean around bridges, braces and false crowns.

Looking for an easier way to clean between teeth and battle bleeding gums? Then swap out regular floss for one of the best water flossers

Always fill the reservoir with water. Dr Khurrum warns that using mouthwash instead of water can cause staining. He also advises, “If you have sensitive teeth, using lukewarm water can be less triggering.” As water flossers dispense a continuous jet of water, you need to keep your mouth partially closed while running the cleaning nozzle along your gum line. This allows the water to drain out but avoids it spraying everywhere. 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. In terms of technique, position the end of the tip a few millimetres away from your teeth. Dr Khurrum says, “Direct the stream towards the gum, aiming for the spaces between the teeth to remove trapped debris. If you have gaps between your teeth, angle the nozzle towards each tooth.”