Dental floss (or simply floss) is a cord of thin filaments used to remove food and dental plaque from between teeth in areas a toothbrush is unable to reach.

Dental professionals recommend that a person floss once per day before or after brushing to reach the areas that the brush will not and allow the Fluoride from the toothpaste to reach between the teeth.

Use

Floss is commonly supplied in plastic dispensers that contain 10 to 100 meters of floss. After pulling out approximately 40 cm of floss, the user pulls it against a blade in the dispenser to cut it off. The user then strings the piece of floss on a fork-like instrument or holds it between their fingers using both hands with about 1–2 cm of floss exposed. The user guides the floss between each pair of teeth and gently curves it against the side of the tooth in a ‘C’ shape and guides it under the gum line. This removes particles of food stuck between teeth and dental plaque that adhere to dental surfaces below the gum line.

Types

A variety of dental flosses are commonly available. Floss is available in many forms including waxed, un-waxed mono-filaments and multi-filaments. Dental floss that is made of mono-filaments coated in wax slides easily between teeth, does not fray and is generally higher in cost than its un-coated counterparts. The most important difference between available dental flosses is thickness. Waxed and un-waxed floss are available in varying widths. Studies have shown that there is no difference in the effectiveness of waxed and un-waxed dental floss,but some waxed types of dental floss are said to contain antibacterial agents and/or sodium fluoride. Factors to consider in choosing a floss include the amount of space between teeth and user preference. Dental tape is a type of floss product which is wider and flatter than conventional floss. Dental tape is recommended for people with larger tooth surface area.

Factors to be considered when choosing the right floss or whether the use of floss as an inter-dental cleaning device is appropriate may be based on:

• The tightness of the contact area: determines the width of floss
• The contour of the gingival tissue
• The roughness of the interproximal surface
• The client’s manual dexterity and preference: to determine if supplemental device is required

Specialized plastic wands, or floss picks, have been produced to hold the floss. These may be attached to or separate from a floss dispenser. While wands do not pinch fingers like regular floss can, using a wand may be awkward and can also make it difficult to floss at all the angles possible with regular floss. These types of flossers also run the risk of missing the area under the gum line that needs to be flossed. On the other hand, the enhanced reach of a wand can make flossing the back teeth easier.