Top 10 Best Dental Floss (Pros and Cons)

REVIEW OF BEST DENTAL FLOSS TO USE

BUY: Oral-B Satin Tape Mint (25 meters waxed) – £4.75

Who is it best for?

This dental floss is ideal for most patients who are looking to start off with flossing their teeth on the regular basis. It is not too thick and nor is it too thin for most patients. It is particularly useful for patients who have lots of fillings crowns dental implants and even the bridge work. For some patients who do not have any fillings in their mouth or any gaps then this is still a very good floss for those to start off using floss for the very first time.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

When you open the packet it is really easy to draw out a suitable length of floss and you can easily break it off using the cutter provided on the packet. The dental floss grips very nicely with the fingers and it does slide very easily in between your teeth even when those gaps seemed extremely tight. It is usually best to use it with quite a vigorous Force as this is less likely to shred or break the piece of dental floss. Unless you are unfortunate to have very very tight contact points between your teeth this floss does not shred nor does it easily snap when using it. If  ever it does shred or break easily or doesn’t even pass through, this usually means that you could have a problem with that filling or contact point in your mouth and this means that you should point this out to the dentist to examine further. For this reason alone it is an excellent dental floss to use for nearly all patients.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

This floss does seem really effective in cleaning debris and food Particles and plaque from between your teeth. Very rarely was it necessary to go over teeth that you had cleaned only once so this floss is extremely efficient.

 

Value for money?

Although this floss is a premium brand and therefore it is about the same cost as other premium brands it still represents fairly good value for money because you don’t have to use lots of floss in order to clean all your mouth in one go.  Most of the time just one strip of floss is all you need for all 32 teeth in your mouth.  The way to think about it is that even if it prevents you losing one tooth in the future the extra cost of a premium brand is definitely worth it.

The overall the rating is 9 out of 10

 

BUY: Oral-B Satin Tape Dental Floss, Mint Flavour – £4.75

Who is it best for?

This floss is ideal for those who are starting off using floss for the very first time. It does have a minty taste which some people do prefer as it makes flossing which is normally quite a boring exercise makes it a bit more interesting. The mint flavour lingers on afterwards even after you have rinsed your mouth out and this may not be agreeable for some depending on your individual taste buds.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

This floss passes through your teeth very easily even if you do have lots of fillings or crowns or dental implants or dental bridge work. If for any reason the Floss breaks or shreds or tears, it usually means that there could be something wrong with that particular tooth or filling such as a rough filling or an overhang filling or even a cavity. If you make a note of this particular area when you go for your next dental check-up you can ask your dentist to check and make sure that there is nothing wrong with your tooth or filling which may be the reason why the Floss is tearing in this area.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

After you have used this floss your teeth will feel much cleaner as it helps to remove a lot of food debris and plaque between your teeth. In addition the minty taste does seem agreeable to many patients however we found that the minty taste is rather artificial and tastes a bit like artificial sweetener which it is.

Value for money?

Overall it is a premium brand and therefore it is more expensive than other lesser known brands or own brands which supermarkets sell. However it is no more expensive than other competitors premium brands and if in the long run you use less floss because it is stronger and doesn’t break as much then in it can become very cost-effective and a whole packet can last you a month easily.

Rating: 9 out of 10

 

 

BUY: Oral-B Pro-Expert Premium Dental Floss – £4.69

Who is it best for?

This floss is best for patients who do not have many fillings and the contact points between the teeth are not very tight so those patients who do not have any crowding of their teeth in their mouth.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

For a premium brand dental floss it does not pass very easily in between your teeth and if you start to use a little bit of force the most likely result is that it will just simply break off and you have to tear another piece off and start again. This loss was also more likely to shred as well which is one reason why people get put off from flossing their teeth in the very first place. If your teeth are fairly well-placed apart or not very tight together without any fillings then it is an average class of floss but nothing spectacular. If water or saliva gets onto the Floss the properties of the floss start to alter and it definitely makes it more difficult to use as the Floss becomes more slippery and more difficult to manipulate with the fingers. It also starts to make a squeaky noise.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

Aside from the fact that it doesn’t slide in between the teeth very easily and you spend a lot of time sometimes trying to pass it through the teeth then the cleaning may not be as effective as those flossers which are much easier to use.

Value for money?

For a premium brand it is more expensive and definitely not worth paying extra compared to supermarket own brand or some lesser known brands. in fact you could actually say it is more expensive because you will be using a lot more of the floss when it breaks or having to change another piece after only a few attempts.

Overall rating is 3 out of 10

 

BUY: Georganics Natural Charcoal Dental – £5.90

Who is it best for?

This natural charcoal dental floss is ideal for those who are environmental conscious or vegetarian. The packaging is entirely recyclable and the Floss itself is made out of an artificial polymer. it is arguable that it is a slight gimmick because the transport of the product itself is the main environmentally damaging Factor in this product.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

This floss is quite difficult to use because it’s extremely fine and thin and therefore it is really difficult to grip the dental floss in between your fingers. Even worse is when the Floss gets some saliva or water on it then it becomes even more slippery and difficult to use. The Floss itself does not seem any more better or quicker compared to some of the premium brands but it is not much better cost wise.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

Once the Floss is in between the teeth it does seem to be effective at cleaning food debris and plaque from between the teeth. It also leaves a taste in the mouth presumably from the charcoal which has been infused into the fibres however there is no proven scientific articles which show that charcoal is beneficial to the oral health  and whether it removes any plaque whatsoever.

Value for money?

Value for money wise it is more expensive because it is a lesser known Brand and it is marketed as an environmentally friendly dental floss. Setting aside those features it is more expensive as you get less meters on the roll so it will use up a lot quicker than those brands which offer more metres on the roll. The charcoal effect is rather overstated and has been scientifically not proven to be of any extra benefit although at the same time it is not harmful in any way either.

Rating: 6 out of 10

 

BUY: Colgate Total Pro Gum Health Floss – £2.39

Who is it best for?

This floss is primarily marketed for those who have gum disease. In reality and to put it bluntly this is simply a marketing gimmick as a floss as a floss has only one job and that is to remove plaque from your teeth physically. There is no chemical or special material that the Floss is made out of that will eradicate any gum problems or gum disease. Again to repeat the message it is the physical action of the Floss that is helpful in tackling the gum disease by removing the cause which is the accumulation of bacterial plaque.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

The Floss is very thin and you would think that it would easily slide between your teeth but this is not the case. It is quite a struggle especially if the contact points are very tight or your teeth are very close together or you have lots of fillings and crowns and you have to navigate around them. Sometimes even with the slightest pressure the Floss will easily break and if it shreds it becomes a very difficult job to take out all the shredded bits in between your teeth. Often you have to pick the shredded bits with your fingernail or use a piece of paper or a piece of plastic or even get another piece of floss and try that again but even then that may get stuck as well.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

Once the floss sinks in, between the teeth it is no better and no worse than other flossers in cleaning between the teeth. It is the physical effect of your cleaning that determines whether your teeth are clean or not.

Value for money?

This is a premium brand and you are paying a Premium price but unfortunately there is very little benefit that I can see in choosing this brand over lesser known brands.

Rating: 1 out of 10

BUY: Oral-B Pre-Cut Floss Strands – £5.50

Who is it best for?

This manufacturer has come up with floss that you don’t have to cut yourself with the Floss holder that it normally comes with. The Floss strands are already cut out for you. The Floss strands are quite thick and waxy but this doesn’t mean that it is a problem to get in between your teeth. Once they are in between your teeth it is very effective because of the increased surface area of the overall piece of floss which is thick and fluffy.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

Unless there is something drastically wrong with your filling or tooth then it doesn’t tend to shred or break easily in most situations.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

Due to the thickness of the individual strands it does clean your teeth thoroughly and probably with less effort than other flossers which are very thin and those which are unwaxed.

Value for money?

The overall value for money is a bit questionable because you’re paying extra just for somebody to cut the pieces of floss for you. There just doesn’t seem any advantage or situation where a piece of floss which is already been cut off for you is helpful.

Rating: 5 out of 10

 

BUY: Oral-B Ultra Floss – £12.15

Who is it best for?

This floss is thicker than the Oral-B regular floss are all the dental tape. I still maintain that the Oral-B dental tape is the easiest and most efficient one to use. This is primarily marketed for larger gaps in between the teeth however the for these types of caps you are probably better off using an interdental brush which is going to be a lot more effective in removing plaque and food debris which gets stuck in between the teeth.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

The Floss does not break at all in between tight contact points or where there are fillings or crowns packed in tightly together. However what does happen is that the Floss shreds and when it shreds because of its thickness it shreds into many strands and these can be really difficult to remove from your teeth. When these strands do get caught in your teeth you can feel the teeth being prised apart due to the extra thickness of this floss.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

As mentioned already this floss is for larger gaps for example with patients where their gums have receded and the gaps between the teeth are slightly larger than what you normally would have. However as discussed already these gaps are better cleaned using an interdental toothbrush and this is more likely to be a result in a cleaner effect then using this type of floss.

 

Value for money?

This was is not as good as interdental brushes for cleaning larger gaps in between your teeth. And then also the dental brush will last a lot longer because obviously like a normal toothbrush you can keep on reusing it until the bristles have gone completely out. This means that it is not good value for money compared to an interdental toothbrush.

Rating: 4 out of 10

 

 

BUY: GUM Eez-Thru Floss Threaders – £4.50

 

Who is it best for?

These floss threaders come with a floss and a floss holder. This is designed for people who have difficulty using normal floss. The problem with floss threaders is that you cannot pass a floss right back  through the teeth once you have to passed the Floss through initially. In doing so this can cause considerable difficulties where the contact points are tight and therefore the Floss can get caught or it can tear or it can shred and it can take longer to floss your teeth rather than shorter. If you are going to use a floss with a threader or a holder then it is best to make sure that normal regular floss slides very easily in between your teeth otherwise this will cause problems for you.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

This floss does not slide in between your teeth with anymore difficulty than a normal unwaxed or waxed piece of Regular floss. However because it comes with a holder already it this means that the Floss has to be pushed back out of the teeth again and this is where the problems occur where the Floss gets caught or it breaks or it starts to tear.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

Assuming that the initial difficulties are overcome it is no more effective than any other regular floss.

Value for money?

Metre per metre it is much more expensive floss that simply comes in a roll and that is because these flosses come with a floss holder so the manufacturing process is more complex and more expensive.  This type of floss can only be considered for those who have really tried to use regular Floss but because of their poor manual dexterity or condition such as arthritis they find it difficult to use  in comparison to normal regular floss.

Rating: 7 out of 10

 

 

BUY: Plackers Dental Flossers Micro Mint – £10.29

Who is it best for?

This is another type of floss which comes with the Floss holder and the idea is to make flossing easier as you do not have to manipulate it between your fingers. In theory you should not require as much manual dexterity and it is ideal for patients who have arthritis or where they cannot manipulate dental floss easily. The main problem of any dental floss holder is that the once the Floss has been slid down in between your teeth you cannot just pull it out horizontally like you do with regular Floss but you have to push it back up.  But particularly again with Floss Holders, this is when problems can occur if the Floss gets stuck or it tends to start to shred.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

Certainly this is easier to slide in between your teeth compared to other flossers which come with a holder and the Floss Holder is quite flexible and not made out of her rigid plastic which certainly does help in using it more effectively.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

The quality of the actual floss thread itself is very good and it doesn’t seem to be too thick or too thin and they are also coated with wax so it is more gentle on your gums just in case the Floss slips and you dig it into your gums accidentally.

Value for money?

Flosses with Floss Holders attached to them,  in general are definitely more expensive because of the extra floss holder required and the fact that the Floss has to be attached into the Floss holders in manufacturing.

Rating: 7 out of 10

 

 

BUY: Waterpik Ultra Water Flosser WP-120 – £59.99

Who is it best for?

Most people who will buy this device are those who have tried regular floss without any results in curing their gum disease or they think that the more you pay the better something is. It certainly is a fancy looking device that it comes in a big box and you have to set the machine up. It does use batteries as well although you can use rechargeable batteries. The batteries will probably last to 2 to 4 weeks depending on whether you use it once a day or twice a day. In addition if the machine does breakdown it will usually be necessary to throw it away unless it is within the 1 year guarantee.

How easy does it slide in between your teeth? Does it shred or break easily?

This device comes with a pen like attachment which shoots water out forcibly so that the force of the water cleans out any food debris and flushes out the plaque in between your teeth. It does feel that your gums are being massaged and you may think that this is beneficial but from a scientific theoretical viewpoint the massage action does absolutely nothing and has no benefit in reducing gum disease or plaque formation.

Does it clean your teeth thoroughly?

If the gaps between your teeth are quite large then it certainly does seem to clean your teeth thoroughly but there is no evidence whatsoever that it cleans it better than somebody who is using floss or interdental brushes the proper way.

Value for money?

This is by far the most expensive piece of interdental cleaner in this review. You can buy many packets of floss for one of these machines. Initially it is a good gimmick and you could say that it’s worth it if it helps you to get motivated in cleaning your teeth gently. However in my experience this initial novelty like most gadgets does wear off and there are so many of these devices at the back of a cupboard which are no longer being used. As the saying goes a fool and his money are soon parted.

 Rating: 1 out of 10.