Flossing is an essential part of maintaining good oral health. While brushing your teeth is important, it’s not enough to remove all the plaque and debris that can accumulate between your teeth and under your gumline. That’s where flossing comes in – it helps to remove these particles and prevent gum disease and tooth decay. But with so many different types of floss available, it can be hard to know which one is best for you. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the different types of floss and help you choose the right one for your needs.
Superfloss
Superfloss was created by oral health brand Oral-B, to help you clean your teeth and gums when you have braces, implants, bridges or wide gaps between teeth. Like threaders, it consists of a stiff end, making it easy to insert between braces and under retainers. Attached to the stiffened end is a spongy floss for removing plaque, followed by regular floss for your standard flossing. Superfloss comes in pre-cut strands so you won’t ever use too much or too little.
Floss threaders
If you’ve had braces, then you are probably quite familiar with floss threaders. These are like little flexible plastic needles that have an eye for fitting floss through. The threaders help you insert floss between braces and under bridges and retainers, so you don’t have to neglect properly cleaning your teeth due to orthodontic work. The main difference between a threader and superfloss is that with a threader you have to purchase your own floss separately.
Floss picks
The ease of use of dental floss picks may encourage the floss-hesitant to make more of a habit of this important oral hygiene routine. Floss picks, or floss sticks, consist of a small handle for gripping, attached to a flosser made of two end posts. The end posts serve as a floss holder, with a small string of floss suspended between each post. A floss pick cannot be used to get under braces, bridges and retainers, but it can make harder-to-reach areas easier to floss. It can also be beneficial if you have arthritis, or difficulty using your hands or fingers.
Dental floss
Dental floss is simply a thread of thin filaments made to clean between teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach. Each of the above items features dental floss, with add-ons that might make flossing more appealing, convenient or enjoyable. Since standard dental floss doesn’t have a stiffened end, like superfloss or a floss threader, it can’t be used to get under braces, bridges and retainers. But due to its flexibility, some dentists prefer it over floss picks as the best way to floss, for its ability to reach every angle around your gum line.
