New Philips Sonicare Power Flosser with Quad Stream technology

By Sonya Davidson

Each and every time I visit with the dental hygienist the conversations always begins with small talk about the family, the dog, and how we’ve been coping with covid. Then it quickly changes to so, how’s the flossing going? For years, I would sheepishly say “um…it’s okay!” We all know the truth. How many of us floss everyday? How about once a week? Recently I started responding to her predictable question with “I’m sure you know!” to which I would always get a laugh. Let’s be honest. It’s not exactly the most enjoyable daily health regime and we all know it. I’m not gonna lie. I hate flossing.  

My hygienist tells me “you’re not the only one!” and commends me for my honesty. She asked what I thought was holding me back, aside from the discomfort of pushing down a thread in between my teeth that would often lead to my gums bleeding. I know, I know, flossing more often would help “toughen up” my gums and make them less sensitive. Sure. But I never managed to get to that stage. She’s suggested picks and little handled flosses. Neither of lasted.  

I’m stubborn as heck so she backed up and suggested I toss out my regular toothbrush and invest in  an electric toothbrush. She told me to go slow without pressure. How slow? I found one that would help keep timing for me while I moving from tooth from tooth at an efficient cleaning pace. Ideally two minutes of brushing twice a day. Three if I was really good. My teeth and gums had shown an improvement. Then, my last visit she said it was time to do more. Yep,I knew what she was leading up to… flossing. Ugh.  But this she recommended I look into an electric water power flosser.

 

When I asked her what I should be looking for, she highly recommended one that has a large enough water vessel to do the entire mouth at one go. As for nozzles, it really was a personal preference but she suggested I start with the standard. She also recommended I use one that needs to be plugged into an outlet for optimum charge. She also said  that if you have one that is sitting on the counter you’re more incline to use it. 

With that in mind, I have been using the newest Philips Sonicare Power Flosser Series 3000 Oral Irrigator for over a month a now. With claims of up to being 180% more effective than floss for healthier gums effortlessly through flossing with Quad Stream technology, it caught my attention. It also claims to be up to 3 times more effective as floss in removing plaque between teeth. What’s been really shocking is that I’m actually sticking to using this three to four times a week. 

 

What’s in the box? The countertop version has a base and a removable water reservoir. It comes with two nozzles — a standard and a quad stream. The handle itself coils in neatly. When not in use the entire compact system sits nicely on my newly renovated bathroom counter top. There are two cleaning options (Clean and Deep Clean) as well as 10 intensities.

The standard nozzle is a straight tube with a tapered end — one we are most familiar with. The NEW quad stream nozzle on the Series 3000 has a X shaped tip  that offers a wider stream of water within a concentrated area for more coverage. This is what I ended up preferring as I also felt like it offered more control on the areas around the gums.  

With the latest technology built in, power flossing has come a long way since the earlier versions. This Philips Power Flosser has Pulse Wave technology that gently helps guide you from tooth to tooth offering more control. There are two flossing modes on this model - Clean mode offers a steady continuous flow but if you feel like you need something for those days you want more then Deep Clean will help. As mentioned, there are also 10 intensity levels that you can select from. When I started using the Flosser, I started low to see what was comfortable. After a few days I had no problem increasing the intensity and I’m most comfortable around 7 or 8 range (out of 10). Less than 7 tickles my gums. 

Filling the water reservoir is easy. The removable vessel makes it easy to fill under the tap. My teeth are sensitive so I use room temperature water. The more comfortable the experience the more likely I'll complete the job. I do go through an entire fill each time. Afterwards I just tilt the lid a slight bit so that it can air dry. Not that you have to. I just do it as a personal preference. 

Let’s face it, when it comes to any morning or evening routine, we just want to get things done efficiently and simply. This counter top version surprised me with a noticeable and different cleaning sensation. After brushing I’ve been pretty confident that I’ve had any bits out. The Power Flosser is constantly flushing out what I miss. I can't wait to see my dental hygeniest next time. She'll be so proud. 

Is it loud? Someone in my family does an older model that I could compare with. This newer model is considerably quieter so it’s not a concern if you’re worried about disturbing anyone else. 

The Philips Sonicare Power Flosser Series 3000 is $129.99 CDN (MSRP)