No single type of floss is universally “best.” The floss that works best for you depends on the spacing of your teeth, whether you have dental work like braces or bridges, and honestly, which one you’ll actually use every day. That said, the different types do perform differently in clinical testing, and some carry tradeoffs worth knowing about.
Waxed vs. Unwaxed Floss
This is the most common comparison, and the differences are smaller than you’d expect. Unwaxed floss has a slight edge in plaque removal. In one clinical study, unwaxed floss reduced bleeding sites by about 75% when used by a professional, compared to roughly 50% for waxed floss. The researchers described unwaxed floss as “slightly” more effective.
In practice, though, the gap narrows because waxed floss is easier to use. It slides between tight contacts without shredding, which matters if your teeth sit close together. Unwaxed floss can fray or snap in tight spaces, and if that frustration makes you skip flossing, the theoretical advantage disappears. If your teeth have normal or wide spacing, unwaxed works well. If you have tight contacts or rough edges on restorations, waxed is the more practical choice.
String Floss vs. Water Flossers
Water flossers use a pressurized stream of water to flush debris from between teeth and below the gumline. They consistently outperform string floss at reducing gum bleeding and inflammation. A systematic review found that water flossers are more effective than regular flossing at reducing gingival bleeding, and they also help with pocket depth and bacteria levels beneath the gumline.
Where water flossers fall short is raw plaque removal. They have minimal effect on plaque scores compared to string floss, which physically scrapes the sticky biofilm off tooth surfaces. So a water flosser alone may not be enough if plaque buildup is your main concern. Many dentists recommend pairing a water flosser with string floss, or using a water flosser if you have gum disease, implants, or braces that make traditional flossing difficult.
Floss Picks vs. Traditional Floss
Floss picks are the small plastic Y-shaped or F-shaped tools with a short segment of floss stretched between two prongs. They’re convenient, especially on the go, and they’re better than not flossing at all. But they have a real limitation: that short, straight piece of floss can’t wrap around a curved tooth surface the way your fingers can with a longer strand.
The proper technique for string floss involves curving it into a C-shape against the side of each tooth, hugging the surface as you slide it just below the gumline. This lets you clean the full contour of the tooth. A floss pick can’t do that. It contacts only part of the tooth, and dental professionals have reported seeing patients who floss-pick daily still develop decay in spots the pick consistently missed. If a floss pick is the only thing keeping you in a flossing habit, use it. But if you’re willing to spend the extra minute, traditional string floss cleans more thoroughly.
PTFE Floss and the PFAS Question
PTFE floss (polytetrafluoroethylene, the same material as Teflon) is exceptionally smooth and slides easily between teeth. Oral-B Glide is the most well-known brand, and it’s made entirely from PTFE rather than simply coated with it. The glide factor is genuinely useful for people with very tight contacts who shred other types of floss.
The concern is that PTFE is a fluoropolymer, part of the broader family of chemicals known as PFAS. A study of 178 middle-aged American women found that participants who used Oral-B Glide recorded higher serum levels of one type of PFAS compound. Multiple studies have detected fluorine in several dental floss products, including both PTFE and non-PTFE varieties, suggesting that some non-PTFE flosses also use PFAS-based coatings for smoothness. PFAS exposure at higher levels has been linked to a range of health issues, from thyroid problems to cardiovascular disease.
That said, the potential exposure from flossing is considered minor. Researchers who studied this association noted that only a small percentage of people are likely to exceed concerning thresholds from floss use alone. If this worries you, switching to a nylon or natural-fiber floss without a PTFE coating is a simple way to reduce one small source of exposure. If you love the feel of PTFE floss and it keeps you flossing daily, the oral health benefit likely outweighs the trace chemical exposure.
Best Floss for Braces
Braces create dozens of new crevices where food and plaque accumulate, and a regular piece of floss can’t get past the archwire without help. Floss threaders solve this by letting you feed the floss behind the wire and between each pair of teeth. Products like Oral-B Super Floss come with a stiff, threader-like end built in, which saves a step. Waxed floss is generally preferred with braces because it’s less likely to catch on brackets and snap.
Water flossers are particularly useful with braces. They flush out debris around brackets without the tedious threading process, and they reduce gum inflammation, which is common during orthodontic treatment. Many orthodontists recommend using both a water flosser for daily convenience and string floss with a threader a few times a week for thorough plaque removal. Expect flossing with braces to take longer no matter what tool you use. Budget five to ten minutes rather than the usual two.
Eco-Friendly Options
Traditional nylon floss isn’t biodegradable, and each small container adds plastic to landfills over a lifetime. Two common alternatives are silk floss and bamboo-fiber floss. Silk is soft and smooth, making it comfortable for sensitive gums, and it breaks down naturally. Bamboo-fiber floss is strong and less prone to snapping. Both are typically packaged in refillable glass or metal containers.
The tradeoff is durability. Neither material matches the tensile strength of nylon or the slickness of PTFE, so you may notice more shredding in tight spots. If your teeth have wide enough spacing, eco-friendly floss performs fine. If you have very tight contacts or rough dental work, you might find natural fibers frustrating to use consistently.
Technique Matters More Than Type
The C-shape technique is considered the gold standard for string floss. You slide the floss gently between two teeth, then curve it against one tooth in a C shape and move it up and down along the side, dipping just below the gumline. Then you curve it against the other tooth and repeat. This method maximizes the surface area you clean and is what separates effective flossing from going through the motions.
Most adults never learned this technique, and research notes that even children struggle with it because it requires fine motor control. If you’ve been snapping floss straight up and down between your teeth, switching to the C-shape method with whatever floss you already own will likely improve your results more than switching to a different product. The ADA awards its Seal of Acceptance to floss products that demonstrate safety and efficacy in clinical testing, so any floss carrying that seal meets a baseline standard. From there, the biggest variable is you.