Oral-B Glide floss was historically made with PTFE, the same slippery polymer used in nonstick cookware, which raised concerns about exposure to PFAS chemicals. Oral-B has since reformulated the product, reporting that its updated Glide floss now uses a “micro-textured fiber” and that none of its floss products contain PFAS. If you’re using a recently purchased box of Glide, the PFAS concern likely no longer applies. But the story behind the change is worth understanding.
Why Glide Floss Raised Safety Concerns
PFAS are a large family of synthetic chemicals sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down easily in the environment or in the human body. They’ve been linked to a range of health problems including certain cancers, thyroid disease, immune suppression, and heart disease. PTFE, the material that originally made Glide so smooth and easy to slide between teeth, belongs to this chemical family.
A 2019 study from the Silent Spring Institute tested 18 dental flosses, including three Oral-B Glide products, for the presence of fluorine, a chemical marker of PFAS. All three Glide products tested positive. The researchers then looked at blood samples from 178 middle-aged women and found that those who flossed with Oral-B Glide tended to have higher blood levels of a specific PFAS compound called PFHxS compared with women who used other flosses or didn’t floss at all. It was the first study to connect PFAS-containing dental floss with measurable increases of these chemicals in the body.
Harvard environmental health researcher Philippe Grandjean noted the results were meaningful even though the women could have been exposed to PFAS from other sources. His reasoning: “Nonstick pans have a larger surface but we don’t chew on them like dental floss.” The oral cavity absorbs substances efficiently, and floss sits against soft gum tissue during use.
How the ADA and FDA Responded
The American Dental Association pushed back on the 2019 study, stating that its Science Institute found the data “insufficient to support the conclusions presented in this research and associated media coverage.” The ADA emphasized that no restrictions on dental floss had been issued by the FDA and encouraged people to keep flossing daily. The core message was that the benefits of flossing outweigh any theoretical risk from the materials involved, and that people should not stop cleaning between their teeth.
The FDA, which regulates dental products marketed to the public, took no action restricting PTFE-based flosses. Its own safety reviews of PTFE as a material in medical devices have generally found no strong associations with systemic harm, though the quality of evidence is considered low.
Oral-B’s Reformulation
Despite the lack of regulatory action, Oral-B eventually changed Glide’s formula. The company now states that its updated Glide floss uses a micro-textured fiber and that none of its floss products are made with PFAS. The Silent Spring Institute, the same group that published the original study, reported this change. If you’ve purchased Glide recently, the product you’re using is likely the reformulated version. However, Oral-B has not publicized exactly when the transition happened, so older boxes sitting in a drawer could still contain the original PTFE-based floss.
PFAS-Free Floss Options
If you’d rather avoid any uncertainty, several flosses on the market are made without PFAS or synthetic polymers entirely. Consumer Reports identified silk-based flosses as the cleanest option, with top picks including Nudge Clean Sustainable Silk Floss, Radius Natural Biodegradable Silk Floss, and TreeBird Pure Silk Eco Floss. For coatings, beeswax and plant-based waxes like carnauba, candelilla, and jojoba are considered safer alternatives to petroleum-based waxes.
Standard nylon and polyester flosses, while typically PFAS-free, carry their own minor concerns. These plastic-based materials can contain trace chemicals from manufacturing and contribute to environmental pollution. They’re still a significant step up from PTFE-based options if chemical exposure is your primary worry, but silk or plant-wax-coated flosses are the most conservative choice.
Putting the Risk in Perspective
Even before the reformulation, the amount of PFAS exposure from flossing was small compared to other common sources like drinking water, nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, and food packaging. The 2019 study found a statistical association between Glide use and one specific PFAS compound in the blood, but it couldn’t determine whether that level of exposure was enough to cause health problems on its own. PFAS exposure is cumulative, though, meaning every source adds to your total body burden. Reducing exposure where you easily can, even from a minor source like floss, is a reasonable approach.
The most important takeaway is that flossing itself remains essential for preventing gum disease and tooth decay. Skipping floss entirely carries a much clearer health cost than any chemical risk from the floss material. If the old Glide formula concerned you, the reformulated version or a silk-based alternative lets you keep flossing without the PFAS question hanging over it.