Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser For Teeth Cleaning, Gums, Braces, Dental Care, Electric Power With 10 Settings, 7 Tips For Multiple Users And Needs, ADA Accepted, White WP-660, Packaging May Vary

ASTONISHING (to me, anyway) HEALTH UPDATE (2/19/2017): WATERPIKING SAVES LIVES, MAYBE YOURS! REALLY! I MEAN IT! (I know, it sounds crazy...)I finally broke down and got a Waterpik when my dentist told me I had periodontal pockets and would need a deep cleaning. I read somewhere that with regular use of a Waterpik, I might just be able to reverse those pockets and eliminate that need for an uncomfortable deep cleaning. I gave it a three-month try and it worked! No deep cleaning needed!Also, I spoke with my primary care physician about plaque, and learned that there are two more (one of them could save your life) benefits to Waterpiking regularly. See my UPDATE at the end of this review.I have noticed that others have asked a lot of the questions that I had early on inside of their reviews and in the customer questions section. So I thought I would gather up all of the answers and put them in one review. I hope this will be your Guide to Using Your New Aquarius Waterpik.If you do find this review helpful, please click "Yes" below, I'd appreciate it!HOW DO I AVOID MAKING MY GUMS BLEED WHEN I START USING MY WATERPIK?It is not in the instructions anymore, but according to my husband, Waterpik used always to tell users to start by using the lowest "1" pressure setting and then to turn the pressure up one notch per day to get your gums adjusted to the Waterpik's pressure gradually. If you do this, you should be on "10", or whatever setting you prefer, in no time and with no gum bleeding.HOW DO I KEEP FROM SPLASHING WATER EVERYWHERE?There are two simple tricks never to see a water splash again. First, don't turn the Waterpik on until it is in your mouth. Second, keep your mouth closed except a slight parting of your lips to allow water to drain out of your mouth, while you use your Waterpik. That should take care of it!THE ON/OFF SWITCH ON THE HANDLE IS HARD TO USE.You will, unfortunately, just have to get the hang of how to master that switch. It seems to be a matter to where you apply pressure on the switch. It seems to work best when you apply pressure close to the center, rather than from the bottom or the top, in my limited experience. However, in the meantime, if you get frustrated, just use the on/off button on the face of the machine as a shortcut.WHY DO THEY SEND SEVEN TIPS BUT ONLY PROVIDE SLOTS FOR TWO?First of all, you only receive four different types of tips. The total number of tips adds up to seven because Waterpik provides three identical Classic Jet Tips (see below for descriptions of each). Most people choose only one style of tip for daily use (possibly two if you have periodontal pockets). The second slot can also be used for a partner or house-guest.WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FOUR STYLES OF TIPS INCLUDED?"CLASSIC JET TIP" (you get 3)To identify it: it is the only tip style that you get three of.Classic Jet Tips are for general use and replace flossing for people without crowns or other more-serious-than-fillings dental work. (For people with that sort of dental work, use the "Plaque Seeker Tip", described below.) Use the Classic Jet Tip unless you have a special reason to choose one of the others.Rather than include links to the replacement tips in this review, I recommend that you just do a search for "Waterpik JT-100E". That way, there's no risk that this review will be filled with dead links.If you search by the tip's name, you will probably get results that include tips that are not compatible with your Aquarius. So I have provided the actual model numbers of each tip so that you can search for the right one. If any tip that you want is not available on Amazon, you can buy it directly from Waterpik dot com. (Note For Ultra Buyers: the Ultra uses the same model tips as the Aquarius, provided here.)"TOOTHBRUSH TIP" (quantity: 1, but that is plenty for most)To identify it: it looks like a tiny toothbrush.This tip allows you to brush your teeth and Waterpik at the same time. As efficient as that sounds, there must be a reason why they included 3 Classic Jet Tips and only 1 Toothbrush Tip. I am guessing the reason is that this Brush Tip looks more efficient than it is -- especially if you have an effective toothbrush like a Sonicare.Search for "Waterpik TB-100E" to find compatible replacement tips."PLAQUE SEEKER TIP" (quantity: 1) (my daily use tip)To identify it: look for fewer bristles than are on the Toothbrush Tip.The Plaque Seeker Tip is designed for use with crown, implants, and bridges, as well as for general use. So if you have any dental work more serious than fillings in your mouth (i.e. are you over 30?), you can just use this tip as your daily tip all around your mouth. "Removes bacteria and debris from hard to reach areas around dental restorations."Search for "Waterpik PS-100E" to buy refills."PIK POCKET TIP" (quantity: 1)To identify it: it looks like the Classic Jet Tip but with an extra pointy attachment at the end.This one is for people who have periodontal pockets or furcations. It can "deliver medicaments" except that neither the Aquarius nor the Ultra is designed for that (they don't have "Medicament Reservoirs"), or just rinse deep below the gumline. Few people will choose to use the Pik Pocket as their daily tip. You would use this before or after you do your primary Waterpik rinse, and probably just on the areas that need it. This tip is supposed to be used only with the machine set to a pressure of "1", so don't forget to turn the pressure down before using it.Search for "PP-100E" to get compatible replacement tips.OTHER WATERPIK TIPS YOU CAN BUY ON AMAZON COMPATIBLE WITH THE WATERPIK AQUARIUS: these don't come with your Aquarius but they are compatible with it, and you may find them useful:--Orthodontic tip OD-100E--Tongue Cleaner TC-100EFinally, Waterpik also offers a storage case that comes with six compatible tips. Search for TS-100E.THE WATERPIK AQUARIUS VERUS THE WATERPIK ULTRA: A SHOWDOWNSome reviewers have argued that the older Waterpik WP100W Ultra Dental Water Flosser is a better device. However, many reviewers have claimed the opposite. Waterpik continues to make both. Here are the differences according to Amazon and Waterpik (you can do comparisons between any current models on Waterpik's website, just type in Waterpik dot com then choose Oral Hygiene):This Model, the Waterpik Aquarius WP-660 is called the "Aquarius Professional" on Waterpik's site. That's cool, right?As of this writing, the Ultra has fewer than 300 reviews that average 4.5 stars; this Aquarius has over 6,000 reviews that average 4.4 stars. Since I don't know if the Ultra's average rating is 4.500000 and the Aquarius's is 4.4999999999, I don't really see any difference in those reviews other than than a LOT more people choose to buy this Aquarius.Differences Between this Aquarius and the Ultra--while on Amazon, prices vary, Waterpik thinks the Aquarius is the nicer machine because they charge $20 more for the Aquarius than for the Ultra;--the Ultra has a button on the handle that you must hold down in order to keep the water flowing, if you let go, it stops; the Aquarius has an on/off toggle switch so that once you toggle it on, it keeps flowing without finger pressure, until you toggle it off;--the Aquarius comes with three Classic Jet tips, versus two with the Ultra--the Aquarius includes a massage mode (have to admit that I don't use this at all)--the Aquarius includes an LED Function Indicator (ehh)--the Aquarius includes a Timer/Pacer (I use this every day and know that I would stop sooner than I should if it weren't on there)--the Ultra doesn't include anything that the Aquarius does notFeatures That Are Identical Between the Aquarius and the Ultra--both come in black and white (Aquarius, this page; Waterpik Ultra White and Black available here;--same water pressure--same flow rate--same pulse rate--both have 10 pressure settings--the tips rotate 360 degrees--water capacity both in volume and in seconds--both have covered water reservoirs--almost identical weight: 1.46 pounds for this Aquarius and 1.48 for the Ultra--both have three-year warranties--both only have plugs for North AmericaSOME OTHER MODELS AVAILABLE:Waterpik Complete Care is still available for $10 more and gives you a shorter warranty (2 years instead of 3), no massage mode, no LED indicators, and fewer tips. Thumbs down.If you're really price sensitive OR if you want to use medicaments OR you really hate filling the reservoir, the Waterpik Classic Pro is $30 less expensive on the Waterpik site (on Amazon, prices vary) includes a medicament reservoir, and holds up to 35 ounces (Aquarius and Ultra hold 22 ounces) but you will not get:--the good reviews that the Aquarius and Ultra have; Classic Pro is not nearly as well-liked;--the option of a black-colored model;--the maximum water pressure of 100 PSI (it's 90 PSI instead)--four pressure settings: you get only six pressure settings instead of ten (but honestly, how many people need the subtlety of more than six settings?);--the super-important-to-me Timer/Pacer--water control on the handle (it works like the Ultra: you have to hold a button down);--a covered reservoir;--covered tip storage;--massage mode;--LED Function Indicator;--the ability to use any tips other than the Classic, the Pik Pocket and the Tongue Cleaner (Waterpik does not make compatible Orthodontic tips, Plaque Seeker tips, or Toothbrush tips for the Waterpik Classic Pro)--the third year of warranty, Classic only comes with a tow-year warranty.I hope this review has been helpful to you. Please feel free to leave comments, as you can see, I have responded to the only question asked, and am happy to answer more. And I'd very much appreciate a "Yes" click if you did find this review at all helpful. (I have dreams of one day qualifying for the VINE reviewer program...)IMPORTANT HEALTH UPDATES (2/19/2017): WATERPIKING SAVES LIVES, MAYBE YOURS!THE LIFESAVING UPDATE: My Primary Care Physician just informed me that PLAQUE in the MOUTH CAUSES PLAQUE in the ARTERIES AND VEINS! !! ! !! That was a big surprise to me. Now I'm REALLY going to use this baby twice a day (like I told my dental hygienist I do <w>).A DENTAL HYGIENE BEST-PRACTICES UPDATE: My Primary also told me that using flossing brushes (like the Pixters my dentist told me to use) actually transfers bacteria from the first tooth to the second, and from the first and second to the third, and so on. Unless of course you use a new one for each tooth, each time. IMHO, they're way too expensive for that! So, she suggested using one per tooth but on a less frequent basis, and using the Waterpik two times, full time, every single day instead.

Looking at the reviews, there seems to be a consistent effort by what I take are some owners of the venerable Waterpik WP-100 Ultra to trash this new model and portrait it as inferior to the WP-100. I don't think this is the case, the WP-660 is an improvement over the WP-100 in many ways and I'll tell you why later. The funny thing is that when I bought my WP-100 about six years ago, there were some reviews from what I take were owners of the revered WP-60 Classic trashing the WP-100. I take some people prefer the old to the new and that's OK. But I think some reviewers are being unfair to the AquariusI owned a WP-100 that lasted for little over six years, used almost every day by two people, those are a lot of days so the WP-100 is an outstanding product. I did have to replace the water reservoir once due to the cheap rubber valve mechanism -improved on the Aquarius as you will see- that failed after three years of use and started leaking. Also, the hook for the handle broke -also improved on the Aquarius- and it was very difficult if not impossible to hang the handle onto the Waterpik body, I had to makeshift a Velcro handle that looked terrible. Googleing around I was surprised to find that this is a common issue with the WP-100, some owners have replaced the entire unit just because of a broken handle as there is no spare part available from Waterpik. BoomerBut other than those two issues, my Ultra worked flawlessly, I never had to replace the hose or the handle as some owners had to, the on-off switch never failed and it worked the same way it was when new until an accident damaged the power-cord and it stopped working. Given its state with the handle hook and its age, I thought about self-repairing it but then I decided it was time for a new unit. At first and reading all those pro-WP-100 anti-WP-660 reviews I was tempted to get another WP-100, but the price of the Aquarius was about the same as the Ultra so I decided to give it a tryI'm glad I did. The first thing you notice with the Aquarius is its modern look and high quality materials, all white and clear, and gorgeous, a significant design improvement over the WP-100. It is also lighter, which some can argue is a good thing -like me- and some can argue it is a bad thing because it "feels" cheap, which is also a valid point. The important thing is that its weight doesn't compromise its operation in any way, it won't tip-off when used nor will slide or be unstable, it is just lighter. It might be due to the use of cheaper materials on the pump as some have argued here, or just lighter materials, an overall technological improvement rather than cheapening the unit off. I guess time will tell which one is more durable, or we will have to open both units and compare its guts to get a final answer. So, why is the Aquarius better than the WP-100, other than it looks?-The WP-660 is less noisy and runs smother than the WP-100, you notice this right away. This with no compromise to the water pressure, the pressure is steady, as or more powerful than the WP-100 but it runs better, it sounds less stressed. Same or better results with less noise.-The hook for the handle was replaced by a sturdier piece and a different design to hold the handle, which reduces the pressure on the piece. With the WP-100, it was very easy to push the handle all the way down the hook, either by accident or just because of its design, stressing the hook and eventually breaking it; there was nothing to stop the handle to slide all the way down. As said, mine broke. That was a poor design, fixed on the Aquarius; now you just put the handle on the holder, it cannot be pushed all the way down. Some have argued that makes it difficult to handle the hose, but I didn't find any issues, the hose juts hang there by simple gravity, it doesn't tangle or interfere with the unit in any way-The reservoir valve was replaced by a metal spring mechanism. This was a another design flaw of the WP-100, its reservoir valve consist of a rubber piece, very cheap in my opinion, which eventually gives up and start leaking after a few years. As said before, the only way to fix it is by buying an entire new reservoir as the little rubber piece is not available alone, which means not only paying way more but also a waste of resources. In contrast, the WP-660 has a stainless steel spring with a plastic cap, that appears way more durable and also a much better and higher quality solution. Only time will tell but it seems it will last longer than the one in the WP-100-The knob to graduate the pressure is easier to operate. The WP-100 has a hole to put both fingers in, on the Aquarius is a protruding knob, very easy to reach and to manipulate, way better I think, easier to find when in use if needed. And also more ergonomic-The Aquarius handle has an on-off switch that actually works. The WP-100 has that dreadful push button on the handle that you need to press constantly to stop the flow of water, doesn't stop it completely and also causes the Waterpik to make a noise like the pump is being damaged while the pressure is reverted. Not good at all, it was a poor solution at best, a useless feature at worst, it just didn't work. On the WP-660, there is an actual on-off button; in fact the correct way to operate this new Waterpik is to turn it on the base first, then turn it on via the handle when you already have the tip inside your mouth ready to go, the water doesn't come out unless you turn the handle on. This is much better than having to reach the switch on the base unit with the tip in your mouth or having to hold into the appalling pressure cutting button on the handle and then release it. All this while water was still coming out of the tip as the button didn't cut the water flow completely.-The pace timer. This feature is non-existent on the Ultra, and I realized it is very helpful. I use the Waterpik first on the upper section of the mouth, outside-inside and then move to the lower section, in-out and I'm done. At a pressure level of 8, the water in the reservoir, at full capacity, should last little less than 90 seconds. The Aquarius will give you a very short flow pause at 30 seconds of use and another at 60 seconds, this is good to pace your cleaning as it should take about 30 seconds to clean each part of the mouth, up and down, and then you have an extra 20 seconds to touch-up. This avoids you having to be periodically peaking over to the reservoir to see how much water is left and instead allow you to concentrate on the cleaning and doing the job properly-The reservoir cover is now part of the unit. If you are like my mother in law that misplaces everything - sorry mom, I still love you-, chances are you have misplaced the reservoir cover of the WP-100 (as my mother in law did). This cover also contains the tips so it can be kind of an inconvenience to lose it. On the WP-660, the cover is attached with a hinge mechanism to the body of the Waterpik, no way to lose it. The tips are now stored on the unit itself, behind the reservoirThe rest is about the same as the WP-100, it comes with a bunch of tips from which you will probably only use the classic jet, and a 3 years warranty. It also includes a gum massaging mode which is pointless as you can achieve the same results by regulating the pressure knob. One disadvantage to the WP-100 is that you can only store two tips on the unit and not four, but again if you are like me that use only one, this is not an issue. But it might be for some users, if you have braces for example or like to regularly use the one designed for root canal maintenance (the Pik Pocket). One thing that was bad on the WP-100 and remain as bad on the WP-660 is cable management, there is no place to wrap the cable or at least a Velcro band included to deal with the cable, this lack of cable management is in part responsible for the damage to my WP-100 power cord, the cord is just hanging there. A needed improvement for the next design, please take note WaterpikOverall, I see no disadvantages when compared with the WP-100 and instead see many advantages. Until the unit has more years in the market, speculating about its durability without real facts is pointless at this time, so far the Aquarius works the same or better than the Ultra so it's higher price is justifiable. And you can even get a good deal and get it at the same price or a little cheaper than the Ultra, which is a real bargain