I bought a Waterpik WP60W about 3 years ago. I have been very happy with my purchase. But then the hose broke. I managed to fix it, but it broke again. I fixed it again, and it broke again. Apparently the plastic gets brittle or something. I considered buying a new hose, but it would cost about $10-15 including shipping to buy an actual Waterpik replacement hose. Chances are the new one will get brittle and break after a while too.
I found a I could get a whole new Waterpik Ultra Dental Water Jet (WP-100) for about $41 with free shipping from Amazon.com. I checked a few local stores, and found the Waterpik Ultra Dental Water Jet selling for about $50 or more. Even in the current Target ad, they had it on sale for $49.99. So I decided to go for the unit at Amazon.com.
It is totally redesigned, and looks like it will have a small counter footprint.
I may look for a new hose for the old Waterpik. Maybe I can get a different hose for cheaper. Maybe I can try a hobby shop or something. It looks to be smalled diameter than aquarium air hose, but I will check.
I have been very happy with my Waterpik, and credit it with helping to keep my teeth and gums healthy.
I had my orthodontist appointment this morning. On my last appointment, the orthodontist asked if was planning on getting a bridge or an implant to replace my missing tooth. I told him that I had no idea, and that was why I had a whole dental team (dentist, orthodontist, periodontist). He said I should talk to my dentist, and find out what I should do. He took x-rays, and wrote a letter to my
dentist. A few days later the dentist called and left a message for me to call and make an appointment, but I kept forgetting to call (or procrastinating it). With my appointment today, I forced myself to call the dentist. So I called and made an appointment for November 5th.
My orthodontist appointment was at 9:30. The doctor was happy with how my teeth are doing, and said to make an appoint for about two weeks away to get the braces off! Way cool! I told him about the dentist appointment, and he said make my next appointment a week after the dentist appointment. So I made an appointment for November 10th when they’ll be taking my braces off. Then I made another appointment for a week later (November 18th) to pick up my new retainers. One retainer will be for the day and have a prosthetic tooth, and the other will be for night and will be designed to breathe or something like that. I asked the orthodontist if I would have to go for a week with a big gap in my teeth after my braces have been taken off, and before I get my retainer. He said to make yet another appointment for the afternoon of November 10th where I can pick up a temporary retainer that will have a prosthetic tooth in it.
So after three years, I may finally be getting my braces off! It still depends on what the dentist says. If the dentist decides on either a bridge or an implant, then he might want the teeth moved a millimeter this way or that way. So I have to wait to find out what he says.
The other day I wen to clean my teeth with my Waterpik. I turned the Watepik on and something was wrong. Water was spraying on the wall. I thought I had the tip pointing in the wrong direction, but no. The hose was broken just below the handle. I didn’t want to have to buy a whole new unit just for a broken hose. I searched around the net and found I could get a new hose, but I thought I could use the hose I had. I just needed to figure out how to reattach it to the handle. I tried to figure out how to open the handle. I came close to hitting it with a hammer or prying it apart.
I continued searching, looking for into on how the replacement hose was supposed to attached, but I couldn’t find any instructions. I did find a replacement handle. I started thinking that I couldn’t reattach the hose to the handle I had. I ordered the replacement handle.
When the replacement handle came, I saw how it attached to the hose. I decided to see if I could use the old handle. I cut off the hose where the break was. There is a little plastic piece where the hose entered the handle. The piece locks the hose in place. Using a knife, I pried up the little piece to release the lock. The with the piece locked up, I pulled it out with some pliers.
Now with the lock removed, I needed to remove the small piece of hose. The hose is pushed onto a small plastic tube. I tried pulling the hose off, but that didn’t work. I ended up using a sharp pointed knife to slice the hose off the small tube. That worked.
I cleaned up the end of the hose. I slid the small plastic lock piece onto he hose. Then I pushed the hose onto the small plastic tube in the handle. Then I slid the lock piece down, and locked it into place.
My repaired Watepik works great. I still have the unused replacement handle. Not sure what I will do with it. I will probably just hang onto it in case the handle I have breaks.
I had my orthodontist appointment a couple days ago. He was very happy with how my teeth are doing. The top front teeth are over the bottom teeth. The end is in sight. I don’t have a time frame or anything for getting them off, but I am getting there. I still have the powerchain on the bottom teeth. I have been wearing a rubber band on the right side. The orthdontist said that I only need to wear the rubber band of night now. He mentioned something about the band for my next visit. Something about half. I can’t see wearing the rubber band for half the night. So maybe I will be going to a smaller size rubber band? I am currently wear the super heavy rubber band.
When I get the braces off, I will have to have my prosthetic tooth replaced. Right now I have a fake tooth attached to the wire. I will have to have a new bridge made or something.
On another front, my poor wife broke a tooth. A molar in the back. She says it doesn’t hurt, but the feeling of it bothers her. She tried calling our dentist, but they are closed this week for vacation. They have an emergency number on their answering machine, but like I said, it isn’t hurt her. So she is waiting till next week. Meanwhile I got her some wax for her to use.
I have my orthodontic appointment today. Yet more minor progress. The orthodontist seems happy with how things are going.
I knew one bracket had come loose from a tooth on the upper left. I realized this a couple weeks again. But from where it was at, I didn’t think it would have much impact, so I didn’t bother to call them to get it fixed. They told me that I could have come in early, no problem. Apparently the bracket had come loose on prosthetic tooth as well. It must have come off, whent hey removed the ligature or something. I never had a problem with it.
On my last appointment, they had installed a powerchain on my upper teeth. This time, they installed regular ligatures on the upper teeth, and I now have a powerchain on the lower teeth.
Also at my last appointment, the orthodontist had me wearing a "heavy" rubber band (4mm, 4 oz) on my right side to pull the uppers forward. This time however, he wants me to wear a "super heavy" rubber band (4mm, 6oz) on the right side.
The wire was sticking out the back on the lowers. I told them about it, and they tried to trim them, but there wasn’t enough to trim. They used a drill with a de-burring tool to smooth them down a little. Those wire ends scare me a little. I already ripped the crap out of my tongue one time when it got snagged on the end of the wire. I was seriously bleeding for a while, and my tongue was sore for days.