Lol, I'm not sure if I floss properly either... which is why the Waterpik is wonderful to me. I read that if you don't floss properly than better to not floss at all. I use my Waterpik at the highest setting so it does clean my teeth really well like a pressure washer lol. And it gets all the gunk that's stuck in the braces that floss cannot get to. While I was using my Waterpik I received compliments from my dental hygienist, that my dental hygiene was really good. She couldn't stop raving. I did lie and told her I was flossing everyday as well, which was more like once a week. Now that I only floss and brush, my teeth do not feel as clean.
Also, when I do floss and brush and follow up with the Waterpik I did notice that sometimes there were still stuff stuck in my teeth that weren't removed by flossing and brushing.
I just googled it and research shows that the Waterpik is more effective at removing plaque than string flossing:
In 2005, the first clinical study comparing the Waterpik® Water Flosser to string floss found that water flossing provides enhanced plaque removal.
This finding was confirmed in a 2009 independent study at the University of Southern California Center for Dental Biofilms. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), researchers demonstrated that the Water Flosser removed up to 99.9% of plaque biofilm from the treated area.
A 2013 independent study added to the clinical evidence. Test subjects using a Waterpik® Water Flosser in conjunction with a manual toothbrush had up to 29% better reduction in plaque biofilm than people who used a manual toothbrush and string floss.