Non-toxic dental flosses to use: Yes, that’s a thing we have to look for now.

In yet another story about “things you just assumed were safe,” it now turns out that Oral-B Glide flosses are tied to potentially toxic PFAS chemicals.In fact, women who flossed with any of the three Glide products out of 18 tested, had more PFASs (perfluorohexanesulfonic acid) in their blood. Sigh.

You may better know PFASs as the grease-resistant compound that’s used in non-stick cookware and coated cardboard food containers — like the kind you get with fast food french fries. It’s also in carpets, textiles — even soil and water, which is why the researchers point out that basically all Americans have some of it in their systems.

In a way, that’s a good reason not to panic. But if you feel better switching to a dental floss that doesn’t have any PFASs, here’s a few to look for:

Cocofloss (shown above)

Tom’s of Maine Floss

Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss

Radius Natural Silk Floss

Dessert Essence Tee Tree Oil Floss

Of course the makers of Oral-B Glide deny the report,

They’re linked to diseases like cancer, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease other not-great stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

To get specific, six scientists, (five of them women), explain in a peer-reviewed study about dental floss and toxicity that PFASs have water-resistant and grease-resistant properties, so they’re pretty common in consumer products like non-stick cookware, food packaging, fabrics, textiles, and upholstered furniture. Cardboard coated containers

But obviously the idea of direct ingestion