Best Dental Floss (Full Review)

Dentist Tested and Reviewed

The ADA recommends flossing daily to minimize bacteria and maintain oral health. It’s an easy and beneficial habit, so why do so many people neglect to floss?

It could be because it’s tedious and time-consuming, but flossing is essential to clean away plaque lodged between your teeth.

As an experienced dentist with years of experience, I’ve tested and evaluated 300+ dental products. I strive to find the best products for achieving excellent oral hygiene, so let’s take a closer look at the Best Dental Floss from a dentist’s perspective.

Buying Guide

1. Best Overall: Burst Charcoal Expanding Floss (Code: UF4JEC)
2. Best Waxed: Listerine Ultraclean Floss (formerly Reach)
3. Best Tight Contacts: Oral-B Complete Satin Floss
4. Best Glide: Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Floss
5. Best Plaque Removal: GUM Expanding Floss
6. Best All-Natural: Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss
7. Best Ribbon: Tom’s of Maine Antiplaque Floss
8. Best Woven: Cocofloss Coconut-Oil Infused Woven Floss

Flossing Tips

1. Commit to flossing once or twice a week
2. Slowly increase to every day
3. Find a consistent time (morning, night, shower, watching TV)
4. Hug each tooth with a “C” shape
5. Sweep above and below the gumline
6. Take your time removing plaque
7. Healthy gums don’t bleed, so the more your floss, the less they’ll bleed

Evaluation Criteria

I (Dr. Hannan) tested each product for 7-14 days, detailing its pros and cons, and rated it from 1 to 5 in four key areas.

• Effectiveness: How effective is the floss at removing the plaque between the teeth? Was it all removed? Was it visible on the floss to verify removal?
• Durability: Durability: How effective was the floss at staying in one piece upon completion? Did it shred? Did strands get stuck in the tester’s teeth? Did it begin to fray?
• Comfort: Each floss has a different feel when wrapped around your fingers. How did the floss interact with the gum tissue? Did it cut the gums?
• Contacts: One of the most common complaints with dental floss is how difficult it can be sliding it between your teeth. Did it painfully snap into our gums? Did it slide through like butter?

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1. Best Overall | Burst Charcoal Expanding Floss

Dentist Review

This floss is exceptional because it’s incredibly effective at cleaning away plaque, and black floss lets you see that it’s working.

The mint/eucalyptus flavor is refreshing, and the case is sleek and easy to handle.

It’s the most robust case with simple instructions for changing the replaceable floss bobbin. The subscription model lets you set it and forget it.

They mail you a new floss bobbin every three months. You can cancel the subscription or modify the frequency at any time.

Also, you can feel the filament expand between your teeth.

However, it’s slightly more challenging to pass between tight contacts. However, I’d still consider this a pro because of its superior cleanability.

Cons

It’s slightly more expensive than others.

However, you get what you pay for, considering the durable, reusable, and refillable case.

Also, the strands began to unweave slightly with three teeth left; however, not enough for the filaments to get stuck between the teeth.

Best at removing plaque and is recommended for patients with large gaps.

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2. Best Waxed | Listerine Ultraclean Floss

Dentist Review

As soon as you tear a piece off, you realize something is different in a good way.

It’s incredibly light and comfortable in your hands.

It stretches and feels almost like an elastic band. You can feel tiny grooves on it that help wick away plaque. It easily snapped in and out, and there was no shred or thinning.

It’s incredibly durable and makes flossing enjoyable. The mint flavor was subtle and refreshing. Lastly, $2.50 for 30 yards is highly reasonable.

Cons

I was less than impressed by how it removed little plaque.

Also, the filament is fragile compared to other competitors, so if you have large gaps between teeth, Burst, Dr. Tung’s, or Cocofloss would be a better option.

Best for patients with tight contacts or dental work that snags floss.

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3. Best Tight Contacts | Oral-B Complete Satin Floss

Dentist Review

This floss was by far the easiest to slide between teeth.

The filament is fragile and comfortable to wrap around your fingers. There was no shred but the slight flattening of the floss toward the end.

It was easy to grip the floss and maneuver it around the teeth. Lastly, the price point is reasonable compared to competitors.

Cons

Unfortunately, this floss removed the least amount of plaque.

The floss is extremely thin, and there’s minimal surface area for the plaque to adhere. Also, it seemed to cut my gums as I took it below the gum line and wrapped it around each tooth.

This could be a user error not being familiar with how easily it can snap between the contacts of the teeth.

Finally, the case would snap open each time I tore off a piece.

Best for patients with extremely tight contact.

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4. Best Glide | Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Floss

Dentist Review

Glide Floss is exceptional at “gliding” between teeth. It has a flat ribbon design and is slightly thicker than the Oral-B Satin Floss.

The price point is reasonable compared to competitors.

The floss we tested had no flavoring; however, it’s excellent that Oral-B has different variations, as mentioned above, including their 3D White.

The floss was comfortable between the teeth and didn’t cut or irritate the gum tissue.

Cons

Although the floss is ribbon-shaped, the plaque removal was minimal. It seems to have enough surface area.

However, it’s missing texture on the ribbon to grab away the plaque.

The floss case is flimsy and snapped open a few times when tearing the floss.

Lastly, the floss was easy to grip, however tight and uncomfortable, when wrapped around the fingers.

Best for patients with tight contacts and dental work that snags floss.

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5. Best Plaque Removal | GUM Expanding Floss

Dentist Review

This floss held up nicely and didn’t shred.

Towards the end, the individual fibers began to separate but not enough to get snagged or stuck between the teeth.

There are a variety of product variations, and the floss case is high quality. It was comfortable to wrap around fingers and easy to pass through contacts.

Plaque removal was average compared to competitors; sometimes, the plaque would be left when we tightened the floss to remove it.

Cons

Although it expands with little tension, it repeatedly cuts my gums because of how thin the fibers become.

It’s a little more challenging to pass than Glide but still effective.

Also, the price point of $0.05/ft is slightly higher than the average floss.

Best for patients with large gaps and vast spaces to remove plaque.

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6. Best All-Natural | Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss

Dentist Review

This floss was very comfortable around the fingers and between the teeth.

There was no shred, and plaque removal was excellent.

The container has a very sturdy and functional design. The natural cardamom flavor was enjoyable and different than your typical mint flavoring.

I was also pleased with its ability to slide through the contacts, considering its thickness compared to other products.

Lastly, their company mission is impactful, and it’s great that they use natural ingredients.

Cons

Plaque removal was excellent.

However, I wish the floss was a different color to show the plaque removed.

Also, the price point is high compared to others.

Best for patients that value natural ingredients and have sensitive gums.

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7. Best Ribbon | Tom’s of Maine Antiplaque Floss

Dentist Review

This floss was effective at plaque removal and was comfortable around fingers.

There was no irritation with the gum tissue between the teeth.

The packaging is sturdy and well-designed. Also, the price point is acceptable compared to other competitors.

The tan coloring allowed you to verify plaque removal, and the plaque seemed to adhere nicely to the floss.

Tom’s mission is compelling, and natural ingredients benefit your overall health.

Cons

The floss was challenging to pass between teeth, and it doesn’t expand when tension is released, as some competitors do.

Also, I wasn’t pleased with the flavoring as it was earthy and not as refreshing as others.

Best for patients who value natural ingredients, wide spaces and dental work that snags.

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8. Best Woven | Cocofloss Coconut-Oil Infused Dental Floss

Dentist Review

This product was highly effective at removing plaque between the teeth.

The mint flavor was refreshing, and the floss held up nicely with minimal fraying.

A notable feature on the back of the dispenser is that it has indicators that let you know how many more days of floss remain.

They also have a subscription model if you don’t want to worry about going floss-less.

The tropical flavors are unique and a fun motivator to encourage people to floss.

Cons

At times the floss was challenging to remove between the teeth.

Although it can be annoying, it’s better to have a thicker, more cleansable floss versus one that leaves plaque behind.

Lastly, there was slight tenderness when flossing below the gumline.

Best for patients with lighter contacts who enjoy unique flavors.

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Overall Champion | Burst Charcoal Expanding Floss*

Final Thoughts

It came down to BURST Charcoal Expanding Floss and Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss, scoring an impressive 23/25.

Dr. Tung’s was slightly more comfortable; BURST had better plaque removal.

Also, BURST charcoal color allows you to confirm plaque removal visibly, and they offer a subscription model, unlike Dr. Tung’s.

Lastly, BURST floss is much cheaper than Dr. Tung’s, especially if you use code UF4JEC for 30-45% off.

Final Rankings

1. Burst Charcoal Expanding Floss 18/20
2. Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss 17/20
3. Cocofloss Coconut-Oil Infused Woven Floss 12/20
4. Tom’s of Maine Antiplaque Floss 15/20
5. Listerine Ultraclean Floss 14/20
6. GUM Expanding Floss 18/20
7. Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Floss 17/20
8. Oral-B Satin Floss 17/20

* My Dental Advocate product reviews are based on individual experience and your results with the products may vary.

Need a second opinion? We can help! Learn more. Knowledge is power when cultivating healthy dental habits. The more informed you are, the better positioned you’ll be to prevent avoidable and potentially costly dental procedures for you and your family. Watch for future blog posts, where we’ll continue sharing important information, product reviews and practical advice!