No single type of dental floss is clearly superior for everyone. The most effective floss depends on your teeth, your dexterity, and whether you have dental work like braces or bridges. That said, the research does reveal meaningful differences between the major options, and some tools consistently outperform traditional string floss in clinical trials.
Interdental Brushes Remove the Most Plaque
If your teeth have enough space between them, interdental brushes are the most effective tool for cleaning between teeth. In a controlled comparison, average plaque scores between teeth dropped to 1.22 when subjects used an interdental brush alongside a toothbrush, compared to 1.71 with string floss and a toothbrush, and 2.32 with a toothbrush alone. That’s a substantial difference: the interdental brush removed roughly 30% more plaque from the spaces between teeth than floss did.
The catch is that interdental brushes need a gap wide enough to fit through. If your teeth are tightly spaced, forcing a brush between them can damage your gums. They work best for people with moderate to wide gaps, receding gums, or periodontal pockets. Your dentist can help you figure out the right brush size for your anatomy.
Water Flossers vs. String Floss
Water flossers have a strong evidence base, particularly for reducing gum bleeding. A systematic review of seven clinical trials found that four showed significantly greater plaque reduction with a water flosser compared to string floss. In one study, water flossing reduced whole-mouth plaque by 74.4%, while string floss achieved 57.7%. The remaining three studies found no significant difference between the two methods, but none found string floss to be superior.
Where water flossers really shine is gingival health. Across multiple reviews, they are more effective at reducing gum bleeding than regular flossing. The pulsating water stream reaches areas that string floss has trouble accessing, flushing out debris and bacteria from below the gumline. This makes water flossers especially useful if you have early gum disease, deep pockets around your teeth, or dental work that makes string floss difficult to maneuver.
Waxed vs. Unwaxed String Floss
The difference between waxed and unwaxed floss is small enough that it shouldn’t drive your decision. One clinical study found unwaxed floss was “slightly” more effective at reducing gum bleeding, with a 74.8% reduction in bleeding areas compared to 50.4% for waxed floss when used by a professional. Early advocates of unwaxed floss argued that wax residue left between teeth could irritate gum tissue, and that waxed floss’s greater thickness might push teeth apart slightly.
In practice, waxed floss slides more easily between tight contacts, which matters if you find yourself skipping flossing because unwaxed floss shreds or gets stuck. The best floss is the one you actually use consistently, and for many people, that’s waxed.
Floss Picks Work Just as Well
Floss picks, those small plastic handles with a short strand of floss stretched between two prongs, perform about as well as traditional spool floss. A crossover study of 26 subjects found that a floss pick removed 19.4% of plaque compared to 15% for standard rolled floss. After accounting for a sequence effect in the study design, researchers conservatively concluded the floss pick was “at least as good as” standard floss.
Floss picks have one limitation: you can’t easily curve the floss into a C-shape around each tooth the way you can with finger-wrapped floss. This means they may not hug the tooth surface as closely in some spots. Still, if a floss pick is what gets you to clean between your teeth daily, it’s a perfectly valid choice.
Best Options for Braces and Bridges
Orthodontic braces and dental bridges create spaces that standard floss simply can’t reach without extra tools. Super floss, which combines a stiff threader tip, a spongy section for cleaning wide gaps, and a regular floss segment, is designed specifically for these situations. In a randomized trial of orthodontic patients, super floss reduced plaque scores from 0.56 to 0.13, a significant improvement.
Water flossers performed equally well overall in that same trial, with plaque scores dropping from 0.61 to 0.13. The water flosser had a slight edge on the back surfaces of molars, where threading any type of floss under a wire is most difficult. A separate trial in orthodontic patients found similar results: the water flosser group achieved a 21.9% plaque reduction and 32.3% bleeding reduction over two weeks, compared to 16.1% and 23.6% for the interdental flossing group, though the difference wasn’t statistically significant.
For people with braces, both super floss and water flossers are safe and effective. Water flossers tend to be faster and require less manual skill, which can make a real difference in whether you stick with the habit during the months or years of orthodontic treatment.
A Note on PTFE Floss and Chemical Exposure
Some premium flosses, including Oral-B Glide and similar “glide-type” products, are made from PTFE, the same material used in nonstick cookware. A study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology found that people who flossed with Oral-B Glide had higher blood levels of certain PFAS chemicals, a class of compounds linked to various health concerns including hormone disruption and immune effects. Laboratory testing confirmed detectable fluorine (an indicator of PTFE content) in Glide and several competitor flosses.
The health risk from flossing alone is likely very small compared to other PFAS exposure sources like contaminated water or food packaging. But if you prefer to minimize exposure, nylon or polyester flosses (both waxed and unwaxed) are PTFE-free alternatives that clean just as effectively.
Choosing the Right Tool for You
Here’s how the options stack up in practical terms:
- Interdental brushes: Best plaque removal of any tool, but only if your teeth have enough space. Ideal for people with gum recession or periodontal issues.
- Water flossers: Equal or better than string floss for plaque, and superior for reducing gum bleeding. Easiest to use around braces, bridges, and implants.
- Standard string floss (waxed or unwaxed): Effective and inexpensive. Waxed is easier to use in tight spaces. Unwaxed may have a slight edge for gum health.
- Floss picks: As effective as string floss and more convenient. A good choice if convenience determines whether you floss at all.
- Super floss: Purpose-built for braces, bridges, and implants. Combines a threader, spongy cleaner, and regular floss in one strand.
The consistent finding across the research is that any interdental cleaning tool dramatically outperforms brushing alone. If you’re currently not flossing at all, the most effective type of floss is whichever one you’ll actually use every day.