There are two kinds of people: flossers and those who should be flossing. That’s because using floss is an important part of keeping your teeth and gums healthy, along with brushing with fluoride toothpaste.
“A toothbrush removes plaque, but it mainly targets the front and back of teeth,” says Dr. Amr Moursi, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry past president and a professor at the NYU College of Dentistry. “Flossing removes plaque in between teeth and along the gum line that the toothbrush may not be able to reach.”
Plaque is a collection of stuff you don’t want sticking to your teeth including bacteria, food and other materials, according to Moursi. Plaque can potentially lead to issues like gingivitis (aka, early gum disease) and even bad breath. Flossing regularly and properly helps avoid these issues, according to Dr. Edmond Hewlett, professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry.
To get or keep you flossing, we talked to dentists about how to shop for floss — which comes in different flavors and varieties — and we got tips for using it correctly. We also rounded up floss options with the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance based on the experts’ guidance.
SKIP AHEAD How we picked the best dental floss | The best dental floss | Why is it important to floss? | How to shop for floss | Why trust NBC Select?
When shopping for a floss, our experts recommend considering the following:
This NBC Select Wellness Award winner uses recycled polyester, vegan wax and coconut oil to access hard-to-reach areas while also soothing gums, according to the brand. “I made a promise to myself after going to the dentist last year to try and floss consistently, and Cocofloss has helped with that process,” says NBC Select commerce editor Jordan Bowman. “It’s a bit thick so it can easily grab any plague or food scraps from in between my teeth.” This is because it has a textured weave of interwoven threads that expand to reach and remove plaque, according to the brand.
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All of our experts recommend this ADA-approved floss because of its effectiveness and ease of use. When flossing, it slides in between teeth while easily removing plaque, food and more. “My mom is a dental hygienist, so growing up, this has always been my go-to option,” says NBC Select associate reporter Bianca Alvarez. “I never have any issues using this floss because it’s so durable; I can get around my entire mouth without it shredding or fraying.”
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This nylon, mint-flavored floss is great for those with more space between their teeth because it has an extra-wide cleaning surface, according to the brand. Its waxed coating also allows it to slide easily in hard-to-reach places to effectively remove more plaque, according to Reach.
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Using a combination of ingredients, including beeswax, carnauba wax and jojoba wax, Tom’s of Maine coats its nylon floss so you can quickly remove plaque and maneuver it between and around your teeth. Unlike other options on our list, this floss is flat, meaning that it is broader than thread floss allowing it to effectively remove all plaque for those with more space between their teeth, according to our experts.
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DenTek Floss Picks have mouthwash-flavored, fluoride-infused floss strands. They come in packs of 75, 90 or 150. Other varieties of DenTek’s floss picks also received the ADA Seal, including Complete Clean, Fresh Clean and Comfort Clean Floss Picks.
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“I throw Quip’s floss in my bag and bring it with me everywhere,” says NBC Select associate commerce editor Zoe Malin. “The floss is mint flavored, so it leaves my mouth tasting fresh, and it’s pre-marked, so I know exactly how much to use every time.” The floss is marked every 18 inches to show you where to tear off a piece, and it expands with use so you can tell which part of the string is fresh while flossing.
These fruit-flavored, fluoride-coated packs of floss picks are designed to fit kid-sized teeth and hands, so they can easily floss on their own, according to the brand. “My younger siblings use these, and it’s a great way for them to create their own oral care habits independently,” says Alvarez.
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CVS Health dental floss, including this mint-flavored option, has the ADA Seal. The floss will help remove plaque, prevent and reduce gingivitis and stimulate the gums as you work it between the teeth and below the gum line, according to the brand.
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Another favorite floss brand of Alvarez’ is Reach Pop, which makes this whitening dental floss. “I consume a lot of drinks that can stain my teeth, so I incorporate whitening products in my routine, including this floss,” she says. The Reach Pop floss is infused with baking soda to help whiten and prevent stains, while the interlaced wax-coated threads remove plaque between the teeth and the grooves, according to the brand.
“Floss removes plaque; that’s the bottom line,” says Moursi. Without regular care, plaque can build up; the longer it stays, the harder it is to remove. Eventually, plaque can turn into tartar, and tartar can only be removed through professional dental cleaning, according to the ADA — it can also lead to a host of issues, including gingivitis. Luckily, preventing plaque build-up is easy with regular brushing and flossing, according to our experts.
Dental floss is regarded as the gold standard for removing plaque between the teeth where a toothbrush can’t reach, according to Hewlett. Moursi also added that most flossing research studies have been conducted with dental floss, so there’s a lot of data showing its effectiveness. But floss is not one-size-fits-all, he noted. Since using dental floss is difficult for some, there are other effective tools like interdental cleaners. Below, we break down the differences among several different options.
When people think of dental floss, it’s usually the threaded variety that comes on a spool. But there’s also dental tape, which Hewlett describes as a broader and flatter type of floss. It’s particularly useful for people with larger spaces between their teeth since it covers more surface area, says Dr. Ramez Saba, a dentist at McLean Dentistry in northern Virginia.
Both forms of floss come in unflavored or flavored varieties, but choosing a flavored option has no impact on how well it cleans your teeth, according to Hewlett. Flosses also come waxed and unwaxed. Unwaxed floss, typically made from nylon, is very common for removing plaque and food particles, according to Saba. On the other hand, waxed floss is more sturdy, is more resistant to shredding and it’s easy to slide in between the teeth, especially in very tight spaces, Saba says.
Floss picks are similarly effective when compared to thread floss, according to our experts. The picks look like a wand and have a small piece of floss at the forked end, so you can grip the handle while using the tool. Floss picks are generally easy to use, especially when flossing a child’s teeth. This is also great for those with dexterity issues, like arthritis, or for those who have trouble wrapping string floss around their fingers and accessing those hard-to-reach areas, says Saba.
Water flossers are powered devices that shoot pressurized water at the spaces between teeth, targeting debris to disrupt and flush out plaque. For water flossers to be effective and gentle, you must hold them at the right spot and angle for a certain amount of time, according to Moursi.
Anyone can use water flossers, but they’re extremely beneficial for those who have difficulty using thread floss or floss threaders and those with certain dental work, such as braces, bridges and crowns.
Dental work like braces, bridges and crowns can block floss from slipping between teeth, making flossing challenging. Interdental brushes — which look like little spoolie brushes — can pass through the spaces between teeth and under any dental work, allowing you to remove plaque.
The brushes have bristles on one end and a handle to grip on the other. To use, you point the brush at the gum line between teeth and push it through, moving the bristles around the space to remove plaque, says Hewlett. The brushes come in various shapes and sizes to fit the spaces between your teeth.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Zoe Malin is an associate updates editor at NBC Select who writes about dental care, including stories on electric toothbrushes, at-home whitening treatments and more. For this article, she interviewed two experts about flossing and their recommendations.
Bianca Alvarez is an associate reporter at NBC Select who writes about beauty and wellness, including stories and more. For this article, she interviewed two experts about flossing and gathered their recommendations as well as NBC Select-staff favorites.
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