Dental Health

Are There Different Types of Floss?

April 12, 2021

Floss helps you remove plaque and food particles from between your teeth—places where your toothbrush can’t reach. Flossing once a day is essential to your oral health and plays a vital role in protecting your smile from cavities, gum disease, and bad breath [1].

But when it comes to choosing the best floss for your smile, are there different types? The answer is yes! Here, we review a few of the most popular types of floss for your smile, and
which one could be your best pick.

Waxed Floss

Waxed floss is typically made out of nylon and coated in wax. It comes flavored, but it can also be unflavored too. Waxed floss is less likely to shred or break than unwaxed floss, but it may be harder to grip and get into tight spaces between your teeth. However, for people who have some room between their teeth, waxed floss tends to be more comfortable for flossing than unwaxed [2].

Unwaxed Floss

Unwaxed floss is also usually made from nylon but doesn’t have a wax coating on it. As such, it’s more prone to breaking than waxed floss, but it’s better at getting into challenging spaces between teeth. It’s typically not flavored and is easy to hold, which means you may use less floss during your daily oral care routine.

Dental Tape

Dental tape is typically recognizable because it’s wider than regular floss. The strands also tend to be flatter as well. Dental tape can come both waxed and unwaxed. It tends to be more comfortable to use and more effective for people who have more space between their teeth.

This type of floss can also be easier to hold and use for some people, making it a potentially good choice for those who have a hard time flossing.

Water Flosser

A water flosser is a type of device that you can use to floss your teeth. It doesn’t work like traditional floss—instead, the device uses a stream of water that cleans plaque and food particles from between your teeth. Water flossers don’t produce waste like regular floss does, and it’s a great cleaning tool for people who have braces, which are difficult to floss with nylon strands. While water flossers aren’t as convenient as regular floss when traveling and cost more, they’ve been shown to be more effective at removing plaque than regular floss [3].

Which Is Right for You?

The type of floss you pick all depends on what’s easiest and most comfortable for you to use daily. People who have teeth that fit close together may benefit from unwaxed floss or water flossers, while people with more space between their teeth may prefer waxed floss or dental tape. Whatever type of floss you’ll use, that’s the one you should choose to maintain your beautiful smile!