7 Best Dental Flosses (2026): Honest Reviews + PFAS Safety Guide

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Dental floss is the most-skipped step in oral care — and the one that matters after brushing. The best floss isn’t the strongest or fanciest — it’s the one you’ll actually use every night.

There’s also a newer question: is my floss safe? Headlines about PFAS (“forever chemicals”) in some flosses have confused shoppers. We’ve included a full section separating verified facts from rumors — no panic required.

Quick Picks

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Detailed Reviews

1. Oral-B Glide Pro-Health — Best Overall

Glide is the floss most people picture when they think “the good kind that doesn’t shred.” Its flat, tape-like filament slides between tight teeth where round flosses snag and snap. P&G has reformulated the line to remove PTFE (Teflon) — see our PFAS section below.

Key specs: Tape-style flat filament; shred-resistant; light mint flavor; reformulated without PTFE.

Why it’s the top pick: Usability is everything with floss, and Glide removes the two biggest excuses: it rarely shreds, and it slides into tight contacts without a fight. If your routine keeps failing because floss breaks or hurts, a glide-style tape is the single highest-leverage change you can make.

Pros: Rarely shreds, even on rough fillings; flat tape glides where round floss gets stuck; reformulated without PTFE.
Cons: Pricier than basic waxed floss; slick feel isn’t for everyone; mild mint.

Best for: Anyone whose floss keeps shredding — this is the fix.

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2. Cocofloss — Best Premium

Cocofloss uses a textured, woven filament with coconut fiber that’s deliberately a little grippy, so it scrubs plaque off tooth surfaces instead of just sliding past. It comes in genuinely pleasant flavors (Strawberry, Cara Cara Orange, Pure Mint).

Key specs: Textured woven filament with coconut fiber; multiple flavors; vegan and cruelty-free.

Why it’s here: The texture gives the sensation that it’s really cleaning, and the flavors make 60 seconds less boring. It’s expensive, but people who love it tend to floss more consistently, which is the whole point.

Pros: Textured filament feels like real scrubbing; fun flavors make the habit stick; works for tight contacts.
Cons: Among the most expensive per use; can feel rough on very sensitive gums at first; may shred slightly more than Glide on rough edges.

Best for: People who hate flossing and need every incentive to do it.

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3. Oral-B Essential Floss — Best Budget

The classic: plain waxed nylon string, mint flavor, a price so low it’s basically free. It does the job.

Key specs: Traditional waxed nylon string; mint flavor; very affordable in multi-packs.

Why it’s here: The honest truth is that any floss used daily beats the perfect floss used twice a month. Essential Floss removes the cost excuse entirely.

Pros: Costs pennies per day; waxed coating slides without shredding badly; available everywhere.
Cons: Round string can snap in very tight contacts — see our guide to the best flosses for tight teeth; basic, no frills.

Best for: A no-excuses daily floss on any budget.

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4. DrTung’s Smart Floss — Best Expanding

DrTung’s stretches thin to slip between tight teeth, then expands once in place to contact more tooth surface. It uses natural waxes (beeswax and vegetable wax) and an unusual cardamom flavor that users tend to like.

Key specs: Expanding filament; natural wax coating; cardamom flavor; PTFE-free by design.

Why it’s here: The expanding design solves a real problem — tight contacts where normal floss barely touches the sides. The natural-wax angle appeals to buyers who want to avoid synthetic coatings entirely.

Pros: Expands to clean more surface in tight spaces; no synthetic waxes or PTFE; pleasant cardamom flavor.
Cons: The stretch takes getting used to — pull too hard and it snaps; premium price; cardamom isn’t for everyone.

Best for: Tight teeth plus a preference for natural materials.

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5. Colgate Total Waxed Dental Floss — Best Waxed Mint

The dependable middle: a waxed, mint-flavored string floss that’s grippy enough to feel effective, smooth enough not to shred constantly, and priced for everyday buying.

Key specs: Waxed nylon filament; mint flavor; budget-friendly.

Why it’s here: The wax coating gives a slight grip many prefer over slick glide-style flosses, and the mint is present without being harsh.

Pros: Good balance of grip and glide; affordable; mint most people like.
Cons: Round profile can shred in very tight contacts; not the thinnest option for crowded teeth.

Best for: Everyday flossing with a classic mint-waxed feel.

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6. Burst Expanding Floss — Best Visible Clean

Burst uses a black, textured filament that expands slightly on contact with moisture — filling wider gaps while fitting tight ones. The black color has a practical benefit: you can see the plaque it removes, which keeps the habit going.

Key specs: Black textured filament; expands on contact with moisture; mint flavor.

Why it’s here: Seeing what comes out of your teeth keeps the habit going, and the expanding texture handles a mix of tight and wider spaces.

Pros: Visible proof your flossing works; textured expanding design for varied spacing; widely reviewed.
Cons: Premium price; rare reports of dark fiber shedding.

Best for: People with mixed spacing who want visible results.

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7. GUM Eez-Thru Floss — Best Unflavored

Not everyone wants mint. Eez-Thru is a straightforward, unflavored, shred-resistant floss with a light wax coating — no flavor, no fuss.

Key specs: Unflavored; shred-resistant; light wax coating; affordable.

Why it’s here: Flavor is a surprisingly common reason people avoid floss — strong mint can irritate sensitive mouths. Eez-Thru removes that barrier.

Pros: No flavor — good for sensitive mouths; shred-resistant; very affordable.
Cons: No fresh-mouth feeling afterward; round string isn’t ideal for very tight teeth.

Best for: Anyone who dislikes mint or flavored floss.

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PFAS in Dental Floss: An Honest Safety Guide

You’ve probably seen alarming headlines about “forever chemicals” in dental floss. Here’s what is actually verified — and what it means for your shopping.

What happened with Oral-B Glide. In 2019, the Silent Spring Institute published the first study linking use of Oral-B Glide floss with higher blood levels of PFHxS, a type of PFAS. The PFAS came from a PTFE (Teflon) coating that made Glide slide smoothly. In March 2026, Silent Spring announced that Oral-B had removed PFAS from Glide, reformulating it with a micro-textured fiber instead of Teflon — with P&G completing the change by 2026.

What regulators and the law say. On September 22, 2026, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency published the first-ever market survey of PFAS in dental floss: 17 out of 19 tested products were compliant — 89.5%. The large majority of floss on shelves already tests clean. Three states now ban the sale of floss with intentionally added PFAS: Minnesota (since January 2025), and Colorado and Maine (since January 2026) — pushing the whole industry toward PFAS-free formulations.

What about the lawsuits? In August and October 2025, the Ecological Alliance filed California Prop 65 notices accusing Amazon.com (over Amazon Basics floss, alleging PFOS) and Dollar General (over Rexall floss, alleging PFOA) of PFAS content. These are accusations — there have been no settlements and no court judgments. Treat them as allegations, not conclusions.

How to buy PFAS-free floss, practically:

1. Look for “PTFE-free” on the label. PTFE (Teflon) is the specific coating to avoid, and many brands now state this explicitly.
2. Understand waxed vs. PTFE-coated. A plain wax coating (beeswax, vegetable wax, or standard dental wax) is not PFAS. The concern was only the slick PTFE-style coating in some glide-type flosses.
3. When in doubt, choose expanding or textured floss. Products like DrTung’s and Cocofloss get their glide from design (expansion, texture, natural waxes) rather than PTFE coatings.

The honest summary: the industry is moving away from PFAS, regulators are testing, and most products are already compliant. Buy PTFE-free, and this becomes a non-issue.

Buying Guide: Picking Floss You’ll Actually Use

1. Shredding is the #1 reason people quit. If your floss shreds on rough fillings or tight contacts, you need a different floss — not more willpower. Tape-style (Glide) or expanding (DrTung’s) designs exist for exactly this. See our guide to the best flosses for tight teeth.

2. Waxed vs. unwaxed, tape vs. round. Waxed floss slides easier and shreds less; unwaxed squeaks (that squeak means clean enamel) but can fray. Flat tape covers more surface and resists shredding; round string is traditional and cheap. For beginners or tight teeth, waxed tape is the easier start.

3. Technique matters more than brand. Curve the floss into a C-shape around each tooth and slide gently under the gumline — sawing straight back and forth misses the sides and can cut gums. Good technique with cheap floss beats sloppy technique with premium floss.

4. Floss vs. water flosser. They’re complements, not rivals. String floss scrapes plaque off tooth surfaces; a water flosser flushes debris from below the gumline and around braces. See our comparison in water flosser vs. string floss.

FAQ

How often should I floss?
Once a day — evening, before or after brushing. Consistency matters more than timing.

Is waxed floss bad because of the wax?
No. Standard dental wax coatings are not PFAS — the concern was specifically PTFE/Teflon coatings in some glide-type flosses (see above).

Can floss damage my gums?
Used correctly, no. Bleeding when you start usually means the gums were already inflamed — it typically stops within a week or two of daily flossing. Snapping floss hard into gums causes cuts; use the C-shape technique instead.

The Bottom Line

The best floss is the one you’ll use tonight. Oral-B Glide Pro-Health remains the top all-around pick — shred-resistant, easy for tight teeth, and now reformulated without PTFE. If flossing feels like a chore, Cocofloss makes it genuinely more pleasant. On a budget, Oral-B Essential Floss does the job for almost nothing. And on the PFAS question: buy PTFE-free, and you can stop worrying about it.

Struggling with floss that shreds or gets stuck? See our guide to the best flosses for tight teeth — and for the full interdental picture, water flosser vs. string floss.