Are you telling me that if I don’t floss every day my gums won’t be healthy?

In a nutshell, yes. It is impossible to clean between your teeth with a brush alone. No a WaterPik won’t improve the situation. WaterPiks remove food particles not the sticky bacterial film called plaque. Remember, plaque forms within hours of eating food. Rinsing with Listerine or a similar product won’t do it either. Plaque needs to be wiped off. It doesn’t doesn’t come off with rinsing. Do this test: brush your teeth as best as you can. Really scrub them. Now, run the the floss between teeth. ring it down to the gumline and wipe the teeth like a shoe shine. Now, look at the floss. I guarantee it will be coated with plaque. It may not look like much but it is that microscopic bacteria that inlames gums and caused the breakdown that leads to the deep pockets that can no longer be cleaned at home. This sets up the viscous cycle where bacteria lies beyond reach eroding bone away and leading to tooth loss. That’s it. Plain and simple. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. The good news is this is the easiest cheapest remedy for this widespread disease. All you have to do is floss daily and they will be healthy. Period.