Did you know that roughly five million Australians don’t floss? It’s probably not much of a surprise, especially given how much time it  consumes. But Philips might have an answer, and it won’t hurt a bit.
Released this week, the Philips Sonicare AirFloss is a solution to a problem which dentists say is more important than people realise.
“Lifestyle and oral health are very closely linked,” said Ron Knevel, a dental hygienist and lecturer on the subject. “If you have diabetes, it’s very difficult to control if you have periodontal disease.”
That’s just one of the links researchers have found with poor dental hygiene, with cardiovascular disease also being affected.
In fact, a study commissioned by Philips suggests that it’s not just a problem with flossing, but also brushing, with one in seven Australians using a power toothbrush and roughly one quarter of the population brushing just once a day.
The $169.95 Philips AirFloss is the first flossing tool from the company chart blows tiny bursts of air and water (or mouthwash) through the gaps in your teeth, pushing food, plaque and other bacteria out. Philips says that it should take roughly one minute to clean your mouth, with the battery lasting two weeks before it needs a recharge.
“It’s not the food debris you’re trying to remove,” said Dr. David Dunn, a dentist working in Sydney, “it’s the biofilm.”
“Biofilm is a glue-type material, predominately made of bacteria,” continued Dunn. “The whole goal of plaque control is reducing the biofilm.”
We all know that a good toothbrush can help assist in this area, and Philips has a new one that is “clinically proven to remove up to 100% more plaque than a manual toothbrush in hard to reach areas.”
The Philips Sonicare DiamondClean features five settings for specific dental care – clean, white, polish, gum care, and sensitive – and offers up to 44% more bristles than the standard sized Philips electric toothbrush heads.
Available for $299.95, the DiamondClean can be found alongside the AirFloss ($169.95) in stores now.
we’ve been waiting for something like this for years
The system seems good but the cost will be prohiitive. Better cheaper flossing gadgets help me as trying to get the loose floss thread into hard spots is impossible.
Yeh, but is it awful nicad batteries or has it a sensible lithium rechargeable?
Sexy 🙂 I’ve moved to using one of the Philips electrical toothbrush from the old manual one. Will never go back.
Can’t seem to find out about the DiamondClean on their website though – I guess they haven’t put this up yet?
I think the Braun brushes are just as good. Not sure about the floss though. Braun doesn’t have a floss thing. I’d rather manually floss though. One less charger to worry about.Â