New products promise to make flossing easier.
But if you’re looking for a mental rest, the dental floss aisle of your local drugstore isn’t the place to find it. So many bewildering choices, and seemingly more by the minute:
– Power flossers — latest aid for the flossing fixated (or fatigued). Several are on the market, including Braun Oral-B, Interplak, SoniPick, Panasonic and OralMax. Waterpik is about to unveil its first model.
– Floss that’s baking-soda coated, fluoride-dipped, extra-wide, ultra-fine, woven, ribbon type, shred-resistant, waxed, unwaxed, super-smooth and equipped with little grippers. And, of course, flavored flosses — grape, bubble gum, cinnamon, mint.
– A growing array of plastic floss holders designed to help you get a grip on your tooth-cleaning chores.
But even with all the new tools designed to entice us, most folks aren’t the faithful flossers we ought to be for top oral health.
One survey found that only 31 percent of Americans say they floss, or use another between-teeth cleaner, every day, as dentists recommend. A surprising 13 percent say they floss twice or more daily. But more typically, people floss in streaks, most diligently after a trip to the dentist, then less and less often until the next dental visit fires us up again.
Not long ago, though, some studies gave an added reason to floss. The studies found that gum disease, which flossing helps prevent, might be linked to heart disease and stroke. There’s evidence that bacteria from diseased gums migrate to heart blood vessels.
Not all experts are convinced, but they do agree on this: Flossing helps save your teeth. Teamed with brushing, it helps keep gums and the underlying bone healthy and prevents teeth from loosening.
So which flossing products are best?
Experts say that if a certain type — flavored, plain, thick, thin, manual or powered — inspires you to use it, buy it.
Dr. Matthew Messina, a dentist and consumer adviser with the American Dental Association, says power flossers are a boon to people with dexterity problems caused by such diseases as arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
For others, regular floss works just as well, possibly better, he says. Regular floss cups more easily around the side of a tooth in the flossing method most dentists recommend.
After a Consumer Reports panel tested three brands of power flossers, the magazine concluded that most people would do better with regular dental floss, which reaches more tooth areas and costs a lot less.
A year’s supply of regular floss costs about $7, the magazine estimated. Power flossers range from about $25 to $70 when purchased separately, and usually more as part of a complete power toothbrush/flossing appliance. Additional cost: The disposable flossing tips must be replaced daily.
Different brands have different flossing tips: cone-shaped types, tiny cylindrical brushes, bristle tufts, a rotating filament, or a short length of floss stretched tightly between two holding points. Messina prefers the last, because he believes it can reach more places between the teeth.
The only power flosser that carries the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance is the $65 Braun Oral-B Interclean, which cleans with a rotating filament.
Chief criterion for the seal: evidence the flosser reduces gingivitis, or gum inflammation. (Companies voluntarily submit their products for approval; other companies may not have been evaluated).)
The Consumer Reports panel also preferred the Braun, calling it the easiest to use of those it tested, which included SoniPick and Panasonic.
The Braun and other power flossers were somewhat hard to find in local stores. Waterpik hopes to make a bigger splash, partly through packaging that makes its use more obvious.
Choosing a floss rests more on personal preference than cleaning capabilities, says Dr. Robert Johnson, periodontal authority with the University of Washington. “If you’re conscientious, I don’t think it matters what kind of floss you use.”
Still, you may prefer different floss features. If you have tightly spaced teeth, a finer floss might be easier to use than a thick, ribbon-type. A woven version may be more suited to wider spaces.
If an unwaxed floss always catches on your fillings, you might choose a waxed one or a shred-resistant type. Others prefer the squeaky-clean feel they get from an unwaxed floss, though Johnson does not know of any evidence this actually cleans better.
As for fluoride-coated floss, Johnson is not aware of a proven advantage, though it won’t hurt.
