Flossing your teeth can put toxic chemicals in your body — what’s your risk and 3 brands that are safest

You know the drill — you’re supposed to floss at least once a day to remove plaque and food particles from your teeth to reduce your risk of cavities and gum disease.

Some flosses are healthier than others. One analysis found evidence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in 13 of 39 brands.

These “forever chemicals” make floss glide more easily between teeth, but they also persist in the body and nature. They’ve been linked to a range of health problems, including an increased risk of certain cancers.

PFAS can be found in everyday products such as nonstick cookware, fast-food containers and shampoo and even in drinking water, so experts recommend limiting your exposure whenever possible.

“We are exposed to PFAS chemicals throughout our day, from water, soil, fish/shellfish, carpet, cleaning products and more,” Dr. Jennifer Blanton, a Houston dentist, told Verywell Health.

“It is important to be aware of these ingredients as well as anything we ingest or consume throughout our day,” she added.

That doesn’t mean giving up dental floss altogether.

“You should be using dental floss every single night for the rest of your life,” Dr. Chadd McAlpin, a California dentist, recently advised his TikTok followers. “And what type of floss should you be using? You should be using a thicker type of waxy-coating floss.”

Look for flosses labeled as PFAS-free, made from natural fibers like silk or cotton and coated with plant-based waxes like beeswax, candelilla or carnauba.

Consumer Reports and Made Safe, a third-party certification program that screens products for toxic chemicals, analyzed the ingredients in 17 products and selected three PFAS-free flosses best for health.

Nudge Clean Sustainable Silk Floss

Silk floss tends to be less durable and more expensive than plastic floss, but Nudge promises its silk floss ($6.99 for 40 feet) is “the safest non-toxic option you can put in your mouth.”

It’s biodegradable and comes in a glass container instead of a plastic one.

Radius Natural Biodegradable Silk Floss

Radius says its floss is spun in candelilla wax derived from shrubs native to the Southwest and coated in carnauba wax.

The cardboard packaging acts as the floss dispenser, meaning the product is plastic-free. A pack of three costs $14.04 for a total of 297 feet.

TreeBird Pure Silk Eco Floss

TreeBird’s floss is also waxed with candelilla and made from pure peace silk. It comes in a glass container that’s packed in a small recycled cardboard box.

“The ink we use is made of soy-bean which breaks down quicker than petroleum or oil-based inks so the packaging can be tossed straight to your compost pile,” TreeBird noted.

A 99-foot spool retails for $9.99, but the glass container can be reused. Two-pack refills, for a total of 198 feet, cost $9.99.