That study does indicate that they are equally as effective . I think the issue is that most people do not floss properly , hence the recent controversial study stating that flossing doesn ' t prevent carries . A waterpik can ' t really dislodge plaque though at the pressures it operates at . That ' s at least the consensus of the dental community and is what I was taught . It ' s better than not flossing and it ' s much better than flossing when it comes to braces and some other situations . I wouldn ' t recommend my patients give up flossing for a waterpik however . My personal order is regular string flossflossers with a string connected on a p i c k w a t e r p i k t oothpickmouthwashbrushing only . Im lazy and I ' ll admit to using the flossers attached to the pick .