Your Guide to Choosing Dental Floss
Dental floss is one of the simplest tools you can use to support a healthy mouth. It takes only a few minutes each day, it's inexpensive, and it reaches the areas your toothbrush simply can't get to.
Why Flossing Matters
Brushing cleans the front, back, and chewing surfaces of your teeth, but it can't reach between them. Floss removes plaque and food debris from exactly the spots where many cavities and gum problems begin.
I like to think of flossing as disrupting the bacterial biofilm every day. The goal isn't to sterilize your mouth — we actually want a healthy oral microbiome. What we're trying to prevent is that bacterial community becoming thicker, more mature, stickier, and potentially more harmful over time.
The best floss is the one you'll actually use, consistently, with good technique.
Healthy Gums Are Part of a Healthy Body
Many of my patients work hard to reduce inflammation through exercise, stress management, good sleep, and nutritious food. Those are wonderful habits. But there's one source of inflammation that's often overlooked: our gums.
When plaque is left to sit between the teeth, gums become irritated and inflamed. Healthy gums are an important part of overall wellness, and reducing inflammation in the mouth may help lighten one source of your body's overall inflammatory load.
I like to explain it this way: think of your body as carrying an overall inflammatory burden. Every area of chronic inflammation adds to that load. Keeping your gums healthy is one way to reduce a source of that inflammation and support your whole-body health.
Flossing every day is one of the simplest, fastest, and most affordable habits you can build. It takes just a few minutes, requires very little equipment, and is one of the easiest ways to support healthier gums. I encourage my patients to think of flossing not just as cleaning between the teeth, but as part of caring for their whole body.
What I Look For in a Floss
When I'm recommending floss, I'm generally looking for products that:
Slide comfortably between your teeth
Are gentle on your gums
Don't contain added PFAS or PTFE
Don't contain added BPA
Are comfortable enough that you'll actually floss every day
The best floss is still the one you'll use consistently.
Why Some Patients Choose PFAS- and PTFE-Free Floss
Some flosses are made with PTFE — a material in the same family as Teflon — because it slides very easily between tight teeth. Some patients prefer to avoid these materials and choose flosses labeled PFAS-free or PTFE-free instead. Everyone has different preferences, and there are many effective options either way.
Waxed or Unwaxed?
Both can work well. Waxed floss often glides more easily between tight contacts. The key is choosing whichever lets you floss comfortably and consistently.
Floss Picks or Traditional Floss?
Traditional floss lets you wrap it around each tooth in a "C" shape, cleaning more of the tooth surface. Floss picks can be a convenient option when you're away from home, or for people who have difficulty using traditional floss.
Whenever possible, I recommend traditional floss, since it adapts more effectively around each tooth. That said, if a floss pick is what actually gets you flossing every day, that's far better than not flossing at all.
My Personal Favorite
Patients often ask me which floss I use myself. Personally, I like Dr. Tung's Smart Floss because:
It expands and becomes fluffy as you use it, which helps it adapt well between the teeth
It's coated with natural beeswax, so it slides comfortably
I enjoy the cardamom flavor, which makes flossing a little more pleasant
This is the floss we use in our office during many hygiene appointments, and it's the one I choose for my own daily routine. That said, there are many excellent floss options out there — the most important thing is finding one you'll use consistently, with good technique.
How to Floss Correctly
Use a clean section of floss for each tooth.
Wrap the floss into a gentle "C" shape around the side of the tooth.
Gently slide the floss just below the gumline.
Clean both sides of every space.
Avoid snapping the floss into your gums.
Move to a clean section of floss before moving to the next tooth.
Don't Forget the Very Back Teeth
One area that's often missed is the back surface of your very last tooth. Because there isn't another tooth behind it, many people stop flossing after cleaning between the last two teeth and forget that final surface. Even without a neighboring tooth, plaque and bacteria can still collect there.
By gently cleaning this area, you're helping disrupt the bacterial biofilm before it has the chance to become thicker, more mature, and harder to remove.
When you floss, remember to clean:
Both sides of every tooth
Slightly below the gumline
The back surface of your very last tooth
Those extra few seconds make a meaningful difference in keeping your gums healthy.
My Recommendation
There isn't one perfect floss for everyone. Choose one that's comfortable, easy to use, and fits your personal preferences.
Flossing every day is one of the simplest investments you can make in your oral health. It helps maintain healthy gums, disrupts the bacterial biofilm before it matures, and supports a healthier mouth overall.
Healthy gums are part of a healthy body. Small daily habits, practiced consistently, often make the biggest difference over time.