Comparison of Two Water Flossers with Different Tip Designs on the Reduction of Gingival Inflammation, Bleeding, and Plaque: A 4-Week Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial
Lyle DM, Qaqish JH, Goyal CR, Schuller R, Jahn CA. *Data on file, 2023.
Objective
To compare the effectiveness of a manual toothbrush paired with either a Waterpik Water Flosser with the Precision Tip or a Philips Sonicare Power Flosser with the Quad Stream Tip on the reduction of plaque, bleeding, and gingivitis.
Methodology
Seventy subjects were randomised into two groups in this 4-week, single-blind, parallel clinical trial. Both groups used a manual toothbrush.
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Group 1: Manual toothbrush plus Waterpik Water Flosser with the Precision Tip.
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Group 2: Manual toothbrush plus Philips Sonicare Power Flosser with the Quad Stream Tip.
Participants did not use any additional interdental products or mouthrinses. All subjects were instructed to brush for two minutes and use their assigned device for one minute daily, with written and verbal instructions provided.
Bleeding, gingivitis, and plaque were measured at baseline, two weeks, and four weeks using the Bleeding on Probing (BOP), Modified Gingival Index (MGI), and Rustogi Modified Navy Plaque Index (RMNPI). Statistical analysis included paired t-tests, two-treatment ANOVA, Wilcoxon, and Fisher’s Exact Test.
Results
Both groups demonstrated statistically significant improvement from baseline across all indices. At four weeks, the Waterpik Water Flosser with the Precision Tip was significantly more effective than the Philips Sonicare Power Flosser at reducing bleeding, gingivitis, and plaque.
Conclusion
The Waterpik Water Flosser with the Precision Tip was significantly more effective than the Philips Sonicare Power Flosser with the Quad Stream Tip in improving oral health by reducing plaque, bleeding, and gingivitis. The study indicates that the Quad Stream Tip provides no clinical advantage over the Precision Tip.