Which Type of Dental Floss Is Best for You?

Flossing is important to keep teeth and gums healthy. It removes food trapped between teeth where toothbrushes cannot reach. Both ribbon floss and floss picks are in the medicine cabinet at our house. So how do you decide which one is better for your dental health?

Ribbon Floss or Spool Floss

Ribbon floss has been on the market for many years and is the most commonly used floss. It is a long and very thin string of nylon that may be waxed to make sliding between teeth more comfortable. The American Dental Association (ADA) states: "There is no difference in the effectiveness of waxed or unwaxed floss. It's not what type of floss you use, but how and when you use it."

Sometimes, ribbon floss has flavors added to it like cinnamon, mint, bubble gum or even bacon. This can make it more attractive to children and adults alike in doing the chore twice per day, as the ADA recommends.

To use, wrap around two fingers on each hand and open mouth widely. Hold floss stretched tightly between the fingers, so that it will go in-between the teeth to get out food and debris the toothbrush missed. It seems easy when the hygienist does this procedure on a patient's teeth in the dentist office, and it is a good option if you can clean all the surfaces needed. It is all I used for nearly 30 years. My children grew up using this method, and one still prefers it as an adult.

But for people with crooked, crowded teeth, children, the elderly and people with hand arthritis or other dexterity issues, it can be another story. When flossing in your own mouth, you only can see the front teeth. You are blind to tooth angles and different sizes of space between teeth that the hygienist can see as he or she cleans your teeth.

Some people may find ribbon floss to be more cost-effective than a floss pick. A dentist may give a patient samples to use, and the replacement cost is fairly cheap. Spool or ribbon floss is easily available in any grocery store or pharmacy. A common price range for ribbon dental floss is $2 to $4, with a lot more yardage of floss being included than is in a bag of floss picks.

Ribbon floss is more pocket-friendly than the style of floss pick that have handles as long as a standard toothbrush. If it's in your pocket, you might be more likely to keep the good habit the ADA recommends of twice-per-day.

Floss Pick

A floss pick looks like a toothbrush with a tiny bow across the top, sort of like a miniature toy bow-and-arrow without the arrow. The floss can be coated in fluoride, wax and even flavors.

I had used ribbon floss since the late 1970s, and recently my dental hygienist noticed changes in my ability to reach all the places I needed, so she suggested I might benefit from switching to a floss pick. After hesitating for a few weeks, I finally tried it, and now I would not use anything else. I did not realize how much surface area I missed and how much healthier just that one change could make my gums. The ergonomic handle is especially great when I am having a lot of arthritis pain in my hands. My husband prefers it because "it's just easier to get to the very back teeth."

There are a few different designs to choose from. My husband prefers the one-time use, one-piece picks. They are sold in a variety of colors, shapes and designs to suit needs of children and adults, available in bags of up to 90 for between $2 to $4 per pack. Due to my dexterity issues, I prefer the bigger ergonomic toothbrush type with only the one-time use, snap-on bow-shaped, plastic piece that holds the floss tightly across the top. The replacement tops are sold by bags for about the same price as the disposable pick bags.

Picks may be easier and more comfortable to be used in the mouth of a child, since their mouths are smaller than adults. In fact, anyone who has trouble reaching all tooth surfaces using ribbon floss may benefit from using picks. Wrapping ribbon floss around fingers of both hands to finish the task can be cumbersome, never mind painful if the child wants you to do it for him or her.

For me, the disadvantage is that sometimes the u-shaped disposable piece is hard to snap-off, but only when I am having extreme hand stiffness. It is my problem, not a flaw in the product, because no one else in my home has that issue. Even so, I don't need anyone's help. It's just a matter of patience and angle in snapping the new, clean top onto the ergonomic handle.

Cost can be another disadvantage for you, depending upon how much floss you use each time. Ribbon or spool floss is sold by the yard; while a floss pick is sold by the bulk count of about 40 to 90 disposable one-time use picks. They both cost the same at purchase, at about $2 to $4, but actual long-term cost will vary. The attachment handle is totally reusable, but the pick tops, which have the actual floss in them and are used in the mouth, should be replaced every time you floss. The basic floss pick with anywhere from 5 to 10 replacement pick tops are generally between $3 and $6 in price.

The Bottom Line

Both floss picks and ribbon floss are found in the toothpaste or dental hygiene aisle of your local grocer. When dental floss shopping, always make sure the ADA label is on the product, because it shows the product has been tested by independent scientists and packaging claims are true to the intended use of the dental product.

For the super environmentalist, a disadvantage on use may be that both floss styles should not be reused. They are intended for only one use. Repeated use can cause bacteria to be reintroduced, or floss can tear and get stuck between teeth to the point a visit to the dentist might be needed to remove it.

The type of floss you use is personal preference. Each is a good choice, and the ADA reminds you to floss twice daily for maintaining healthy gums and teeth and staving off some bacteria known to cause diseases. How can you not be motivated to floss with so many options available?

Sources:

Contributor's Personal Experience
"Floss and Other Interdental Cleaners," American Dental Association.