This $80 Electric Flosser Saved Me From a $750 Deep Cleaning

I've been freelancing as a beauty writer for over five years now. I love the flexibility of making my own schedule, the ability to pick up and work from anywhere in the world, and the freedom to write about anything and everything that interests me. Up until recently, I had nothing to complain about. But that all changed when I started experiencing tooth pain that I couldn't ignore. I don't have access to health insurance, and stark upfront costs have always kept me out of the doctor's or dentist's office. But, due to the growing pain and sensitivity in my mouth, I decided to opt for a cleaning and check-up.

During my dentist appointment in November, I was told I would need to have a deep cleaning to account for the years of missed in-office visits. The treatment was broken into two painful trips to spare me the hours of numbing all at once. My dentist warned that due to the plaque buildup (I seldomly flossed weekly) and lack of gum support, my appointment would be pretty uncomfortable. I have a medium pain tolerance, but after squirming through the process, I vowed never to go that long without a cleaning again — or, at the very least, to invest in daily tools that would mitigate the pain and save me money in the long run.

In my hours of searching for expert-approved tips and tools for better oral health, I came across Slate Electric Flosser ($80). Developed by dentist Danny Snyder, the three-in-one electric flosser — aka massage gum sweeper, tongue scraper, and flosser — utilizes 12,000 vibrations per minute to skillfully clean teeth. After reading reviews and speaking to the Slate team, the consensus was all the same: the flosser would remove the plaque and bacteria between my teeth with each use — ultimately, sparing me from painful dental trips.

Slate Electric Flosser

From

$80

$80 at slateflosser.com

Keep reading for my full review of the Slate Electric Flosser. Find out how it's saved me hundreds of dollars on in-person cleanings and how it's improved my oral health in a multitude of ways.

Invented by Dr. Snyder to prevent gum disease, cavities, and anxiety about going to the dentist, the electric flosser ensures each quadrant of the month gets the proper attention and care. Even though I know it's good for me, before using Slate, I never saw the point in flossing. Maneuvering fluoride thread through my teeth never excited me. I find the entire process of holding the floss to be gross. Not to mention, my eco-conscious heart hated how wasteful it was to throw out tons of wax floss in a given month.

I was consistent with flossing for a few weeks before dropping it entirely. Now, using this flosser and incorporating it into my daily routine, I have avoided any further dental work due to gum disease or sensitive and sore teeth. I've taken the small device with me on trips as well. It fits easily in my handbag, and as it doesn't require a charger (it's powered by two AA batteries), I never have to worry about the battery. Plus, the reusable floss heads save over 700 floss picks from landfills each year.

You need to ensure you're not jamming the flosser into your teeth but rolling and sweeping the device, as the brand recommends. You simply go through each pathway by angeling the ergonomic tool to sweep through your teeth until you have completed the whole mouth.

A minute a day will help blast away any debris and ensure a proper clean without putting pressure on the gums. The only thing you need to keep up with with the flosser is changing the head. Each floss head lasts for a week; to replace it, you simply fit the new one into the grove at the top, and it clicks into place. To remove it, just pull the head up, and it will pop off. It is so simple that there really is no learning curve.

A full charge can last up to six months, and you know when the batteries need to be replaced because the tool won't turn on again. Slate got me to floss every night and sometimes twice a day, making it a seamless part of my routine. Plus, as a three-in-one tool, the tongue scraper has also helped me experience fresher breath in the mornings.

If, like me, you are not accustomed to daily flossing or regularly missing your routine in-office cleaning, you might experience a little bit of bleeding when you first start using this device. As a non-regular flosser, I experienced bleeding with each use for about two weeks. "If you don't floss regularly, there might be some minor gum bleeding, but that's a good thing at the start," co-founder Brynn Snyder tells PS. "It means it's working. After consistent use, you will no longer have those issues, and your gums will be healthy." However, once you get used to the process, you won't notice any bleeding or sensitivity.

At $80 with a $25 pack of new floss heads every four to five months, the price point might also give you pause. However, after using it for over five months, I believe it's well worth the price and will provide you with months of benefits.

Natasha Marsh is a freelance writer who writes about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Prior to freelancing, she held styling staff positions at The Wall Street Journal, Burberry, Cosmopolitan Magazine, British GQ, and Harper's Bazaar.