¾ÅÒ»ÐÇ¿ÕÎÞÏÞ

Don't forget to floss. The classic piece of advice.

Well guess what? We're not forgetting, we're choosing not to. It's a hassle. And let's be honest, it's kind of gross.

But you know what's more gross? Bad breath. Tooth decay. Gum disease.

Enter the gadget; the water flosser.

In much the same way that water blasting your driveway is more fun than scrubbing it by hand, turns out water blasting your teeth is a lot more exciting than running a bit of string between each one.

What's more, unless I use the exact right kind of floss, I'm prone to having it fray between my chompers, meaning I then need to use another bit to get bits of the first bit out.

Worse still - trying to get it to unstick from my fingers and into the rubbish bin. What is it with dental floss that you think you've shaken it off and then there it is, still stuck to your hand?

Not for me.

No wonder I became an instant convert, water flossing at least once a day, like a good boy.

Trouble is, sometimes you want that fresh, food-scrap-free mouth feeling when you're out and about. Or at work. And especially when you're away.

Well wouldn't you just know it? The same people who make my trusty plug-in water flosser have now got a new gadget for me.

The 360PRO Travel Water Flosser takes everything I love about my 360PRO plug-in model and essentially manages to fit it all in my pocket - well... just about.

It really is very compact - the main reason being 360PRO's ingenious extendable design. When not in use, the Travel Water Flosser simply slides down into its own water tank, which essentially means it's about half as long as it would be otherwise.

There's a USB-C charging cable included in the box, with the charging port covered by a watertight cap when not plugged in. I'd like to be able to tell you how long a single charge lasts but it's been two weeks of using it at least once a day and I haven't had to recharge it yet.

Another silicone lid covers the hole used for filling the flosser. The water tank only holds 150ml - as opposed to the 200ml tank on the bulkier 360PRO Cordless and the generous 600ml tank on the 360PRO Plug-In. I've found 150ml is about enough to clean either the inside or outside of my teeth but I need to refill to do the whole job - no biggie; you just flip that cap, fill and go again.

For cleaning purposes, you can unclip the tank off the bottom altogether, giving you full access to inside of the tank and the intake tube.

The controls are simple enough. Unlike the Plug-In, which has a knob for variable pressure selection, the Travel Water Flosser has two buttons - one to cycle between Pulse, Low and High pressure, the other for on and off. Easy.

The whole device is IPX7 rated for use over the sink or in the shower, so you don't have to worry about the buttons getting wet or and its oval shape feels comfortable and secure in the hand.

Wait -  did I mention it's black? That's what has always made 360PRO so cool - why does everything have to be white or brightly coloured just because it lives in the bathroom? Black? Obviously it's black. We're kiwis. We love black.

It also ships with quite a selection of heads; two regular jet tips, one for tongue cleaning, a periodontal brush for problem teeth and an orthodontic head specifically for braces, bridges and other tricky add-ons that can be a real nightmare to keep clean. But my favourite head is the plaque removal tip, a stiff, four-pronged brush that really leaves you with that post-hygienist fresh feeling.

Appropriate, given 360PRO worked in close consultation with real dentists when settling on a design. There's nothing like that just-been-flossed-and-brushed sensation and the Tavel Water Flosser is so compact, you can have that feeling whenever and wherever you like.

There's even a simple, soft travel case to keep everything in. Pop it in your bag, purse, satchel or suitcase and you'll never be caught out, desperately hunting for a toothpick.

Technically, the 360PRO Travel Water Flosser isn't capable of blasting between your teeth with quite as much pressure as the Plug-In can - but I've been using it exclusively for a while now and I haven't noticed any lack of cleaning power. If anything, I've probably ended up with a better result because I've been using it more often.

Ideally, you'd have the Plug-In in your bathroom and the Travel version on the road with you - and to be honest, at just NZ$99.00, adding the Travel Water Flosser to your defence against tooth decay really isn't all that extravagant.