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It may come in a tiny little dispenser, but dental floss can have a huge impact on your oral health. The American Dental Association recommends brushing for two minutes twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and flossing at least once a day because dental floss is very effective at removing plaque and food from between your teeth.
We take flossing our teeth very seriously, so we've done a lot of research and flossing to find the best dental floss you can buy. You may think that all dental floss is created equally, but it is not. Finding the right dental floss for your needs may even encourage you to floss more often. Here are our picks:
Read on in the slides below to learn all about our top picks for the best dental floss.
The best dental floss overall
Why you'll love it: True to its name, the affordable and shred-resistant Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Comfort Plus Dental Floss glides easily between even tightly-spaced teeth.
Oral-B is one of America's leading oral hygiene companies, and its GlidePro-Health Comfort Plus Dental Floss is the best you can buy. It was first developed in 1971 when the inventor of Gore-Tex used a Gore-Tex fiber to floss his own teeth. Oral-B didn't have good luck with this kind of floss for decades, but now the Glide floss is the most popular kind among dentists.
There are several different varieties of Glide floss, and all of them are designed to slide easily into tight spaces. Our top pick, the Pro-Health Comfort Plus, is a shred-resistant, mint-flavored, monofilament floss that is coated with beeswax. It slides easily between teeth to pull out the plaque and food between your teeth. This is the dental floss our guides editor Malarie Gokey uses.
The reviewers at Pearly Whytes call the Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Comfort Plus Dental Floss and other Glide-style flosses from Oral-B the best you can buy, and buyers agree. There are 1,089 customer reviews on Amazon, and the floss has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Fans of the floss note that it is gentle on gums, doesn’t fray, and gets between tight teeth easily.
One reviewer named Andy wrote: “This is actually my favorite brand of floss. My teeth are pretty close together … and I find that especially on my back molars, traditional floss is pretty hard to get in between them, and often times I actually rip through or fray more traditional flosses. This stuff goes in without ripping, and because it slides in easier, I can get it to contour easier around my teeth.”
Another verified buyer on Amazon wrote: “Best floss I've ever had, flavor is just subtle enough to not be overwhelming while pleasant enough to make flossing less unappealing, smooth enough to get between a couple of my teeth which have become nigh unassailable with normal floss since my dentist put fillings that all but connected my teeth together.”
Pros: Glides easily between teeth, gentle on gums, minty flavor, non-fraying, affordable
Cons: Some users complain that the floss breaks easily
The best dental floss for sensitive gums
Why you'll love it: Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss has a unique, biodegradable dispenser and thick, expandable floss that offers exceptional cleaning.
Dr. Tung’s is best known as the company that first introduced Americans to the concept of a tongue cleaner, but the company has been producing a range of healthy, natural-based oral care products ever since. Its Smart Floss is exceptionally well made.
Everything about Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss is different than traditional floss, starting with the circular, rotating dispenser, which is biodegradable. The thick, stretchy floss is notably softer than other types of floss, making it perfect for people with sensitive gums.
Free of gluten, PTFE, and BPA, the floss is lightly waxed with a blend of vegetable and beeswax. Dr. Tung's says that the floss has been “clinically proven” to remove up to 55% more plaque than regular flosses, though we haven't verified that personally.
The only downside is that this multifilament floss is available in only one flavor: cardamom. However, many people like the sweet, spicy flavor as an alternative to mint.
A wide variety of professional reviewers and bloggers, including those at Tools of Men and Pearly Whytes, list Dr. Tungs Smart Floss as one of the best flosses. Buyers agree — 570 Amazon reviewers give the floss an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
One buyer said they're "obsessed" with the floss, adding, “I am a dental hygienist and absolutely love this floss. It's textured and tough and cleans so much better between the teeth than any floss I've ever used. I will say if your teeth are extremely tight (and I mean extremely tight ... like you have a hard time using glide) then this probably wouldn't work for you. I use this floss every day on patients and very rarely does it shred ... I've personally seen a difference in gum health of my patients after using this floss for 6 months.”
Another reviewer wrote: “I have a periodontal condition and after trying a number of floss products, I decided to use Dr. Tung's. Good choice — It's soft enough so that it won't damage the gum tissue but it still cleans effectively. This floss is woven and tends to expand a bit when you use it — this allows it to fill the space under the gum line for more thorough cleaning.”
Pros: strong, expandable, soft, superior cleaning ability, biodegradable dispenser
Cons: expensive, only one flavor
The best dental floss that's all-natural
Why you'll love it: The thick string and all natural ingredients in Tom’s of Maine Anti Plaque Flat Spearmint Floss will leave your mouth feeling oh-so fresh.
Tom’s of Maine has been producing natural personal care products for more than 45 years. Its popular flat dental floss is so wide it could almost be considered dental tape. But whatever you call it, this spearmint-flavored floss is perfect for people with wide-set teeth.
Made of multiple nylon filaments, this thick, rope-like floss resists fraying and is covered in three natural waxes, including beeswax. If you prefer your oral care products to be all natural, you're in luck. Tom’s proudly proclaims that the floss contains, “No synthetic waxes, artificial sweeteners or preservatives, no artificial color or flavor, and no animal ingredients."
Many professional reviewers and bloggers, including those at Tools of Men, Women Dentists, and Pearly Whytes, recommend the all-natural toothpaste. Our guides editor Malarie Gokey has also used this floss off and on for years, and it works well.
There are more than 305 customer reviews on Amazon, too. One verified buyer wrote: “I first tried this brand in a kit that the company sent me in a prize that I won. I instantly fell in love. I really like how the thicker string makes your teeth feel SOOO much more clean! I also don't have any issues with plaque buildup when using this brand.”
Another buyer added: “I really like this floss. Some say it is like ‘rope’. I guess I can understand that after using some of the other flosses that really slip and slide and glide. Personally, I like a little texture & roughness so that it feels like it's actually doing some cleaning and scrubbing instead of just sliding over the gunk.”
Pros: All-natural, slides easily, strong and flat floss works well for wide-set teeth
Cons: Expensive
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