REVIEW – The newly released Oclean W10 water flosser is designed to replace the use of string dental floss with directed micro pulses of high-pressure water. This handheld rechargeable device comes with tips for cleaning between teeth, orthodontics, periodontal pockets, plus a tongue scraper. I have one to review. Read on to see what I think!
What is it?
The American Dental Association calls the Oclean W10 and devices like it powered interdental cleaners. They provide rapid, small, pulses of high-pressure water to the gum line and spaces between teeth. The jets of water can be tolerated by people, but are capable of ripping apart the biofilm that holds plaque bacteria onto the teeth and gums. Traditional tooth brushing and flossing have limitations; The toothbrush can only clean what it can reach and will not remove bacteria and debris beyond the length of the bristles while flossing can only be done through the path that the floss follows and cannot be used to clean pockets or dead ends. Competitors of the Oclean W10, with products that have very similar designs and specifications, have conducted studies¹ that conclude using the water flosser can take the place of floss and even provide superior results to flossing.
What’s in the box?
- Oclean W10 water flosser
- 4 Nozzles
- Standard nozzle for daily cleaning
- Periodontal pocket nozzle for periodontal cleaning
- Orthodontic nozzle for dental braces cleaning
- Tongue scraper for tongue cleaning
- USB-C charging cable
- User Manual
Hardware specs
- Model: W6010
- Water Compartment Capacity: 200ml (+5%)
- Input Power: 5V⎓1ACharging Input: USB Type-C charging cable
- Recommended Charger Specification : 5V⎓1A
- Service Period: 30 Days (based on irrigating teeth once a day in the impulse mode using 1 compartment of water each time)
- Battery Capacity: 1400mAh Lithium ion battery
- Charging Time: 4 Hours
- Product Size: 72x55x267mm (with nozzle height)
- Product Net Weight: 2789 grams
- Executive Standard: IEC/EN 60335-1, IEC/EN 60335-2-52
- Protection: IPX7
- 5 cleaning modes
- smart quadrant reminder
Design and features
Unboxing
The Oclean W10 water flosser comes in a lime green hinge top box with tab lock and has a picture of the W10 on the front in front of illustrations of fruit. Oclean has really taken providing this item in different color schemes to heart. The side of the box lists some of the features and the back of the box lists specifications, pertinent international standards and awards from Red Dot in 2021 and a top 10 place on the iF World design index. Inside the box there is a tray containing the product. The product is covered by a sheet that states, “Go The Extra Smile” on front and includes a description of the machine parts on the rear.
The tray holds the machine on one side and the multi-lingual instruction booklet on the other. Blow the instruction booklet is the charging cable and a plastic box containing the nozzles. The plastic container holding the nozzles could be a bit sturdier. I cannot tell if it is designed to be discarded or not.
Setup
The three steps required for setup are charging, installation of the nozzle and filling the reservoir.
The Oclean W10 water flosser does not come with an AC adaptor but recommends that the output of the charger be 5V⎓1A. Charing a dead battery should take about 4 hours. if the battery level drops below about 15% the power LED above the power button will blink red. The product does not come with an AC adaptor but recommends that the output of the charger be 5V⎓1A. The included charging cable is nearly 20″ long and is a type A to type C USB cable. When the system is being charged the power light “breathes” white. When the system is fully charged the power LED is a steady white color. The power LED will glow a steady white color until the battery is once again below 15%.
The nozzle is held in place by a button just below the nozzle hole. It must be pressed to insert or remove the nozzle. Once the nozzle is inserted it may be rotated 360 degrees to provide the best angle depending on the way the user chooses to hold the irrigator. There are 4 different styles of nozzle:
- Standard nozzle for daily cleaning – the end of this nozzle tappers to a point
- Periodontal pocket nozzle for periodontal cleaning – the end of this nozzle has a very fine rubber tube for opening periodontal pockets.
- Orthodontic nozzle for dental braces cleaning – the end of this nozzle has a brush for loosening debris within orthodontic braces
- Tongue scraper for tongue cleaning – the end of this nozzle ends in a spoon-like shape and directs water to the edge of the spoon shape.
The Oclean W10 water flosser’s reservoir is filled through the button shaped port at the top of the nozzle. It looks like it is an oversized rivet to hold the strap but the to of the reservoir is hidden underneath. A filled reservoir holds about 200 mL, about the same volume as a mini soda can. The user manual warns not to use iodine, salt water or concentrated essential oils that are insoluble in water in the product. The use of these liquids will reduce the performance of the product and shorten the service life. Also, the user manual warns not to use pure mouthwash liquid into this product, but to follow dilution directions and to follow use with a full reservoir of water to rinse the internals.
There is actually quite a bit more water inside the unit as compared to what is held in the green translucent bottom
One issue I discovered is that the shape of the bottom is symmetrical across the front and back, but the way that the base clips into the main unit requires that the release button be placed below the handle. Mismatching the base will still allow it to be installed, but not locked.
Operation
The Oclean W10 water flosser has five cleaning modes: Powerful, Standard, Sensitive, impulse and point shooting. The firth three modes vary the pressure from extremely intense to mild. The impulse mode seems to be a level below sensitive, where the flow repeats in a pulsed and then paused pattern. The point shooter seems to provide about a pulse of the standard flow each time the power button is pressed.
Before use, it is important to bend down your head slightly and put the nozzle into your mouth. Press the on-off button to start using this product. Once the water is flowing aim at the teeth, gaps between teeth, or gums to ensure that the water flow is perpendicular to the target. During operation open your mouth slightly so that the irrigation water can flow out of your mouth.
If there is a need to pause treatment the power button can be used to pause and resume treatment. The w10 will interrupt the flow for about a second when there is 3/4, 1/2, and 1/4 capacity of water remaining. The normal cleaning modes provide about 60 seconds of cleaning.
When using the W10 the device feels comfortable and fits in my hand nicely. The strap helps ensure that it is not dropped. I like that the whole unit is one piece rather than a larger unit that sits on the counter and uses a length of tubing to reach the inside of the mouth.
The first time you use the oral irrigator, you may experience itching or slight gum bleeding. This side effect usually stops within 1 to 2 weeks. If it exceeds 2 weeks, the use of the irrigator should be stopped and a dentist should be consulted to determine if the sensitive gums are indicative of a more serious problem.
After using the irrigator it should be cleaned. Remove the nozzle from the main body and wash the nozzle after each use to remove any residue. After use, press the button of the water compartment bottom lid and slowly pull it down, and empty any residual water. Open the bottom water compartment and pour out all the residual water in the water compartment.
After cleaning, wipe the surface of the main body with a dry soft cloth.
Performance
The review of the Oclean W10 water flosser was performed by myself and also by my daughter. I used the standard tip and my daughter used the orthodontic tip. We both felt that there was some learning curve to position the tip in the mouth correctly and that there was some initial sensitivity. We both felt that the product left our mouths feeling clean. The most important step is to aim the tip at the gumline at a 90° angle and to follow the gumline and pause between teeth. We found this video to be very helpful.
What I like
- Nice size, balance, and feel
- Easy to use
- long battery life
What I’d change
- Better storage of nozzles
- Better way to lock base to main body
Final thoughts
The Oclean W10 water flosser is a great product to add to an oral hygiene routine. It functions to provide controlled yet powerful bursts of water and includes just the right features to make this easy to use every day. If you are looking to improve your oral hygiene I recommend the Oclean W10 water flosser.
Price: $69.99
Where to buy: Oclean and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Oclean.
References
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6.7 ounces of water, less than a cup, just won’t do the job.