Though many people brush their teeth at least twice a day, very few make a point of flossing as recommended by dental health professionals. What many of these non-flossers don’t realize is that they are missing out on a lot of benefits by ignoring this important step that is key to a great dental health routine. Flossing helps clean the tight spaces that lie between the teeth where toothbrushes can’t reach, removing the bacterial film that causes tartar formation, bad breath, cavities, periodontitis, and other serious conditions.
If you are one of those non-flossers and want to avoid the dental problems associated with tartar buildup, flossing is an oral health procedure that you should never skip. With one of the top 10 best dental floss products 2019-2020 on this list, you can easily and effectively remove any existing plaque as well as prevent future plaque formation.
Keep in mind that there are a wide number and extensive variety of dental floss kinds. In the markets, you will find the numerous number of dental cleaning products and here is the explanation for you about them.
It is true that drugstores offer and serve a mindboggling variety and range of these dental cleaning tools.
10. Oral-B Complete Satin Floss Mint
This unwaxed dental floss features a satin-like texture that facilitates easy and comfortable flossing. In fact, with this product, you can even floss your teeth with only one hand. It helps remove plaque, germs and food particles between your teeth and just below the gum-line where toothbrush bristles can’t reach. This helps keep your teeth and gums healthy and problem-free. Also, by releasing a burst of mint flavor freshness onto the mouth, this floss product makes your breath smell good all the time.
9. RADIUS Vegan Xylitol Soft Floss – Best for braces
If you’re looking for a cruelty-free dental floss product that uses only vegan, natural ingredients, then the RADIUS Vegan Xylitol Soft Floss would be a perfect choice for you. This vegan floss features natural ingredients such as xylitol, tea tree essence and naturally-derived mint to enhance oral and dental health. These ingredients contain antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that help fight germs and soothe gums. Bu utilizing this easy-to-use floss product, you can effectively fight plaque, enhance your overall dental health and make your small contribution toward saving our planet.
8. Dr. Tung’s Smart Dental Floss
This is an environmentally friendly floss option designed by a real doctor who wanted to give users a choice. It comes as a professional-grade pack of 6 30-yard floss manufactured from biodegradable material, which expands into interdental spaces to provide thorough cleansing. Because of its ability to expand into interdental spaces, it’s able to cover a larger surface area and remove more plaque compared to your regular floss. This allows it to deliver superior results whilst still being gentle on gums. To make things even better, it is naturally cardamom-flavoured and this gives you a cool and refreshing breath after use.
7. Reach Dentotape Extra Wide Waxed Tape
This waxed dental floss is designed to give you the extra cleaning surface that you need for removing plaque build-up in larger areas. Being extra wide, it is the best choice for cleaning whose large spaces between teeth. It’s also very comfortable to use, ensuring you have a perfect tool for your daily flossing routine. Unlike the regular floss, the Reach Dento tape Extra Wide Waxed Tape is able to clean and remove plaque from a wide area. This allows you to achieve optimal tooth cleaning results faster and with minimal effort on your part.
6. Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Threader Floss
This is another top quality floss product from the best-selling toothbrush brand in the world, which is not only highly practical and convenient but also affordable. The Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Threader Floss is one of the few products that offer effective results for both people with only natural teeth and those with dental appliances such as bridges, implants, crowns and braces. It combines floss and built-in threader to facilitate the removal of plaque and accumulated food particles on dental appliances, in between teeth, and below the gum-line. It is dentist-recommended and comes with an easy-to-use, shred-resistant design that makes it ideal for regular flossing after meals.
5. DenTek Complete Clean Easy Reach Floss
This dental floss is highly functional, practical as well as easy to use. It features a uniquely designed handle and angled floss head that make it easy to clean those hard-to-reach spaces, including those tight spaces between teeth and at the back of the mouth, promoting overall oral hygiene. The flosser pick has a triangulated, textured surface that facilitates optimal effectiveness when it comes to removing plaque and tartar build-up. Being a break-proof scrubbing floss that offers silky comfort, it slides smoothly between teeth and moves gently over gums to scrub plague and food off leaving you with a cleaner, healthier mouth. You’ll find it very comfortable to use even on sensitive teeth.
4. Reach Mint Waxed Dental Floss
This is a top notch, easy-to-use dental floss that removes plaque easily and effectively to prevent the formation of tartar between cleanings. It’s stretchy and features a wax coating that allows it to slide smoothly between teeth without tearing, fraying or shredding while also making flossing much easier. This capability makes it probably one of the best dental flosses for removing plaque and tartar from in between teeth and along the gum-line. Through the use of this product, you can reduce the risk of tooth decay and protect your gums, not to mention a fresh breath.
3. Listerine Gentle Gum Care Interdental
If you have tight teeth and sensitive gums that often see you avoiding flossing because of the discomfort, then the Listerine Gentle Gum Care Interdental Floss is the solution that you need. This floss features a cushioned design that makes it gentle on sensitive gums, yet very tough on stains. Its soft, springy construction allows it to clean effectively and thoroughly at the gum line. With this floss, you can remove all plaque on your teeth and along the gum line so you can enjoy improved oral health. You’ll also be able to enjoy a fresh breath, thanks to its mint flavor. What’s more, its lightweight carry size means you can conveniently store and carry your floss to use it while on the go.
2. Gum Eez-Thru Flossers Mint
If you’re looking for a high-quality, yet affordable dental floss that you can use while on the go, then look no further than the GumEez-Thru Flossers Mint. This floss features a comfort grip handle with a thump pad and nonslip surface – all of which allow for easy, on-the-go flossing. It is shred-resistant, and not only does it remove plaque and tartar, but is also specially designed to stimulate gums for better oral health. It is no wonder that GumEez-Thru Flossers Mint is a dentist-recommended product. Its fresh mint flavor will leave your breath smelling good every time.
1. Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Comfort Plus Mint Flavor Floss
This floss from the No.1 dentist and hygienist recommended brand is our top pick in our guide to the ten best dental floss. Unlike those tape flosses that tend to feel sharp on gums, the Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Comfort Plus Mint Flavor Floss is designed to be extra soft and very gentle on gums. But this doesn’t mean it’s any less effective. It cuts through plaque, removing even the toughest tartar that has hardened on teeth and along the gum line; and that’s not all. What makes it really outstanding is its ability to navigate tight spaces between teeth. It features a silky-smooth, shred-resistant texture that allows it to slide up to 50% faster, better, and more easily compared to regular floss products. What’s more could you ask?
Best Dental Floss Holder
Similar to floss picks they hold a length of floss for you. Unlike floss picks that are designed to be used once, a floss holder is reusable. You normally cut a piece of floss to length and thread it on the floss holder. In some instances replaceable or one-time use floss heads are available for more convenient and faster use. Despite being reusable they also give the benefit of allowing you to reach more effectively to gaps and areas of the mouth. They cost just a few pounds and can last for many years.
DENTAL FLOSS REVIEW – BEST PICKUPS OF 2020
Product Name | Length | ||
---|---|---|---|
Oral-B Complete Satin Floss Mint (Editor's Choice) | 30 yards | Check Price | |
RADIUS Vegan Xylitol Soft Floss | 55 yards | Check Price | |
Dr. Tung’s Smart Dental Floss | 32 yards | Check Price | |
Reach Dentotape Extra Wide Waxed Tape | 55 yards | Check Price | |
Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Threader Floss | 30 yards | Check Price | |
DenTek Complete Clean Easy Reach Floss | 55 yards | Check Price | |
Reach Mint Waxed Dental Floss | 30 yards | Check Price | |
Listerine Gentle Gum Care Interdental | 55 yards | Check Price | |
Gum Eez-Thru Flossers Mint | 32 yards | Check Price |
Best Dental Floss Buyer’s Guide
Flossing is a crucial aspect of dental health and including it as a regular part of your dental hygiene routine has been proven to be highly beneficial. Flossing regularly helps prevent plaque build-up, cavities, gingivitis, and in some cases, even helps prevent oral cancer potential. It also stimulates your gums, increasing blood flow, and polishes your teeth, which makes both teeth and gums healthier and less prone to issues.
So you already know that flossing and staying on top of your dental hygiene is important. But when it comes to knowing which type of dental floss is best for you needs is important as well. There are a variety of floss types, from the flavored kind, floss made from synthetic materials, and motorized water picks. Let’s take a look at the different types of dental floss and what situation each is best for.
How to Floss Every Day
Flossing. Some people say it’s harder to stick with this habit than it is to quit smoking.
Why does it seem that the healthier the habit, the harder it is to make it stick? Now going to the gym three times a week, I get that. That’s really, really rough. The environment can be super intimidating and some of those new moves, well, it can be pretty tricky to learn, but what makes flossing such a tough habit.
Cleaning your teeth with a piece of string is super simple, and it takes less than a minute to do. And if you’re the type of person who gets cavities, flossing can actually make you richer. Let’s face it. Dentistry is super expensive, and it’s not fun to pay for crowns and root canals when they could have been prevented. But guess what? We still don’t floss. So what the heck gives?
Today we’re going to dive into exactly why flossing is so freaking hard to keep up for an extended period of time and then jump into exactly how to make it ridiculously easy.
Honestly, sometimes it’s just as few tiny changes that make a huge impact. Why is floss as big brother the toothbrush so much more well-liked. According to James Clear, author of atomic habits, the addition of flavors, aromas, and foaming agents to both soaps and toothpaste decades and decades ago sparked a huge increase in their use among the general public. But why?
The simple change to these products created immediate gratification where there was only delayed gratification before. For example, the first toothpaste were flavorless and didn’t foam hub. The only reward for using this stuff was simply a decrease in the likelihood of developing cavities or gum disease because this reward was vague and more importantly, delayed the habit of using it. Didn’t stick once.
Do toothpaste that tasted amazing and foamed up like a bubble bath came to market. People loved them because they made their mouth feel great, and it gave them fresh breath too. An immediate reward is now given every time you brush your teeth, which reinforces the habit. As James Clear writes: “What is immediately rewarded is repeated”.
Unless you’ve discovered some sort of euphoria-inducing brand of laws that I’m not aware of, then well, Austin just isn’t that rewarding and as a result, it’s very unlikely to encourage habit formation and here’s the first intrinsic problem with philosophy. It lacks immediate gratification. The good news is we can change that.
As James Clear touches on in his book, we’re supremely visual creatures. Flossing as it is, provides very little in terms of a visual reward other than maybe a little bit of plaque sticking to the string when you pull it out, which is rather gross.
Therefore, we need to create a pleasing visual reward for flossing that didn’t exist before. This is much simpler than might imagine. All you need is two glass jars and some marbles. Fill up the first jar with marvels and leave the second empty place both on your bathroom counter where they are extremely conspicuous for every day you floss at least one tooth.
Take one marble from the first jar and place it in this second. I know it sounds like something kindergarten teachers would do to get their kids to behave.
That being said, you’ll be shocked at the willpower you’ll summon just to add another marvel to your jar. In fact, it’s the very same system I use to motivate myself to create posts for you guys to enjoy. If you don’t have room for jars and marvels by a tiny calendar and draw an x on every day that you floss one tooth. For me, nothing beats the marbles. I just find the satisfaction of dropping a marble and hearing it clinking clank and the jar as it goes in. It’s just so satisfying. Even if you’re lazy and only flossing one tooth per night, you’re actually building a foundational habit and with a solid foundation, what you build on it is going to last.
Within no time you’ll find yourself with a jar full of marbles and a mouth full of perfectly floss teeth.
How to floss like a boss!
Great, so now we mean flossing rewarding, but how can we make it easier to do in the first place? When I say easier, I don’t mean it in a physical or technical sense. Instead, I’m talking about making flossing mentally easier. I’m assuming most of you already know the basics of how to floss. If you don’t, there are tons of youtube videos out there on the subject. Let me ask you a question. Where’s your toothbrush right now? I’m guessing it’s probably on a bathroom counter. Ready to go? A follow-up question. Where’s your floss? If it’s tucked away in the cabinet somewhere that we’re still in the packaging from the drug store, don’t worry, you’re not alone. We can make flossing mentally easier by placing an out in the open.
As Mr. Clear would say: “The first way to form a new habit is to make it super obvious”. If your floss has a lid on it, rip it off and expose part of the Strip so that the physical floss itself can be seen. Every time you walk into the washroom. You know you’re going to brush your teeth. So place your floss container on top of your toothpaste tube as to make the cue even more ridiculously apparent. Ever crash on someone’s couch only to wake up with the fuzzies all over your teeth the next morning. Many people can’t stand the sensation and immediately develop a craving to brush their teeth. Unfortunately, flossing doesn’t have such a tangible craving unless a piece of food gets stuck where it should. We can’t count on rogue popcorn kernels to get us flossing though, so what can we do instead?
Another concept in atomic habits is temptation bundling. It’s a technique we can apply to develop a craving for flossing. Every time you’re about to indulge a habit you really enjoy, your brain gets a hit of dopamine, which makes you feel really good. The key is it’s the anticipation of the reward that triggers the dopamine spike and not the reward itself. The thought of reuniting with a significant another child, parent or sibling can sometimes be more enjoyable than the actual reunion. We can use this to our advantage. Let’s say you drink a small glass of red wine every single night. At some point in the evening, you’ll develop a craving to pour yourself a glass. Perhaps it’s after your kids run downstairs to go play fortnight. We’re going to hijack this craving and link it to a new habit philosophy. We can do this by creating a new rule for ourselves.
When I crave red wine, I will floss. After I floss, I will drink my wine. What happens here is that the craving of red wine will release a surge of dopamine into your brain. If you floss during this dopamine spike, we begin to associate flossing with the anticipation of pleasure. If our created rule is diligently followed long enough, then we will begin to crave flossing because we subconsciously understand that it was associated with a reward. It’s not easy to start and stick with the flossing habit. Luckily, we’ve discovered some tactics to genetically modify the habit of flossing into something much stickier, whether it’s a trip to the toy store to buy marbles, grabbing a bottle of red from the seller, or just making your container of floss unknowingly obvious, you begin to realize that you could apply these techniques to any habit you want to form in life. So the reality is if you can make the flossing habit stick, you can do anything.
Water Flossing vs String Flossing
You can get your shining teeth and pink gums back through effective flossing. It decreases the chances of tooth decay and also keeps the gums healthy.
There are two different ways of flossing your teeth:
- Water flossing
- String Flossing
You must be curious to know which method is better, below we have constructed our comparison on water flossing vs string flossing below.
What is water flossing?
In this method, water is used with pressure to clean the teeth.
- With a very small size motor and pump, water is sprinkled with pressure on the teeth.
- This special tool is called water flosser which is particularly designed for taking oral care.
- The tool is available in different size, shape, and design.
- It comes with many tips which can be attached in front of the tips for better results.
Pros of water flossing
- Water picking or water flossing is very easy to use.
- It is a safe way for the people who are suffering from some kind of gum diseases.
- The chances of hurting your gums are almost impossible.
- People with dexterity problems can also do this without any hassle.
- In order to improve the health of gum you can do some massage actions through it.
- It is much safer than traditional floss method.
Cons of water flossing
The first thing it cannot be done without an effective tool. In most of the cases, good tools come with a high price.
- The quality of the water must be good.
- Without electricity, this method cannot be utilised.
- Cleaning the water pipe of water flosser is annoying.
What is string flossing?
In this method of cleaning teeth, eighteen inches of a string is normally used. It is used manually by wounding around the fingers. You can start working with it by placing it between teeth. There are many kinds of string floss available in the market like waxed, without waxed and dental tape etc. Most of the time it needs great attention and steady hands to work nicely with string floss.
Pros of string flossing
- People with healthy teeth and gums can use it without any problem.
- In case you don’t have any dexterity problems than you can use it with great efficiency for oral care after brushing.
- It is not a very costly method; usually, you can buy strings from a chemist.
- There are no requirements of any kind electricity of extra tool for this.
- It removes the plaque effectively.
- The overall health of teeth and gums increase.
- It can be done at home without any problem.
Cons of string flossing
- It can be very tricky to use string for people with awkwardly shaped teeth.
- People are not getting the best results.
- Excellent concentration and practice is required for this.
- People with gum diseases find it very difficult to use.
- Doing it wrong can cause pain and bleeding.
Tips for excellent oral health
You can take care of your oral health by string flossing and water flossing as per the condition of your teeth and the availability of resources.
But there are some common practices which you can opt for excellent oral health:
- Clean your teeth twice in a day. Brush them properly and use medicated paste for this.
- Once in a day you can do flossing to remove unwanted food particles and plaque.
- For best oral health use both methods with good mouth wash.
- Visit you’re dental with a regular schedule and go through proper dental check-ups.
When it comes to water flossing or using string floss to clean your teeth, you should first consider the present state of your teeth and then choose the most suitable method. Overall water flossing has more advantages as its easier to operate.
Types of Dental Floss
Contents
What is the best brand of dental floss?
For most of my life, I’ve used Oral B because of it’s simplicity. It just glides right between my teeth.
Now, after my dentist’s new hygienist notice stains between my teeth, she recommended switching to Listerine’s Gentle Gum Care floss. It is thicker floss, but after a week of conditioning, I find it is more effective at cleaning between the teeth! It’s made a huge difference, both in attempts to get food out from between my teeth.
Im a Dental Assistant and flossing before brushing is a must. When you floss before you brush your teeth for 2 minutes you get the food and other things out from in between your teeth and it opens your gums and the toothpaste is able to get in and penetrate the spaces between your teeth. Having cavities between your teeth is the worst. Flossing prevents that.
What do you think is better at getting food that’s stuck between your teeth out? I just switched and felt that the Waterpik isn’t doing a good enough job, but then when I floss after using the Waterpik, there’s nothing left between my teeth, so I guess it is. Any study was done on this? Does anyone have any references?
Also, what’s better to floss first and then brush or to brush first and then floss? Were any studies done on this?
I use both Waterpik and floss. It works excellent because there are some areas that floss can’t get to and there are some areas that Waterpik can’t get to. It’s very simple. Just because u add one thing to help protect your gum, it doesn’t mean u have to stop flossing (although that’s what they had as). I believe that Waterpik helps you from perio regardless.