Dental Floss Options
Which dental floss pick is best?
Ask any dentist and they’ll tell you that flossing is just as vital to the health of your teeth as brushing, but for some reason, many people still skip this step. If you haven’t been flossing because you find string floss awkward and unwieldy to use, then dental floss picks may be your path to better oral health.
Dental floss picks make it easier to slip the string between your teeth without having to cram your fingers into your mouth. They also incorporate a pick for dislodging large bits of food after eating or before starting the flossing process. Some picks, such as Oral-B Complete Glide Floss Picks Plus Scope Outlast, even have a minty flavor to leave your breath smelling great and your mouth feeling fresh.
What to know before you buy a dental floss pick
Dental floss pick vs. String floss
Dental floss can be found in both pick options and regular string floss, each of which has some pros and cons. Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of dental floss picks is their ease of use. Unlike with string floss, you don’t need to fumble around trying to wrap picks around your fingers, nor do you have to cram some of your fingers into your mouth to loop the string around your teeth. Another advantage to dental picks is the inclusion of said pick, which can be used to dislodge large bits of food stuck between the teeth or along the gumline.
Regular string floss is advantageous when it comes to removing bacteria. Because dental picks have a very short piece of string, you risk simply redistributing bacteria from one tooth to another. With string floss, you can use a new section of the string for each tooth. Some people may also find string floss to be easier to get between the molars far in the back of the mouth. There’s also the environmental concern of single-use picks that are made of plastic, though this can be mitigated by purchasing picks made from recycled materials.
Dental floss vs. Water flossers
Just like with string floss, water flossers offer some benefits and drawbacks over regular floss picks. Water flossers are easy to use once you’re experienced with them, but they have a bit of a learning curve. You should expect the first few times using one to be messy and potentially not very effective.
Water flossers can get into very tight crevices between teeth that dental floss picks may get hung up on, and they’re also better for people who have braces. Additionally, water flossers are more eco-friendly than single-use plastic floss picks.