Waterpik vs flossing with someone with braces, which is more effective?

FLOSSING: No jet of water can replace the mechanical cleansing of the tooth--like washing your car with a garden hose. When it's dry, you'll wish you'd used soap and a cloth! food is not the problem--bacteria cause disease. Waterpik is an inadequate plaque remover, but is great to remove bits of food debris in the brackets themselves. If in doubt, use both!

Floss>Waterpik>None!: Here is the hierarchy: Flossing right is better than Waterpik which is better than not flossing at all! Nothing removes plaque from tooth surface like a floss, but flossing with braces is not easy. So, I always advise my patients to get a waterpik or similar product if the braces have lead them not to floss at all. Something is better than nothing always :)

WaterPik: I have found that my patients who use a Water Flosser get out of braces sooner, and with generally healthier gums, than patients who don't. Floss cleans between teeth, WaterPik also cleans between brackets and gum line. Well worth the purchase price if used daily without fail.