Our Top Recommendations
Best Overall Floss: COCOFLOSS
Best Floss for Bad Breath: Listerine Ultraclean Dental Floss
Best Floss for Tight Spaces: Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Clinical Protection Floss
Best Water Flosser: Waterpik Aquarius
Best Cordless/Travel Water Flosser: Waterpik Cordless Water Flosser
Why Is Flossing Important?
People who floss regularly have healthier gums. Flossing regularly leads to less gum bleeding, gum disease, bone loss, and inflammation.
Adding dental floss to your daily oral hygiene routine removes plaque and eliminates bacteria. This protects you from gingivitis, tooth decay, and bad breath.
Any type of floss or water flosser will improve your oral health by picking up bacteria that your toothbrush left behind. That being said, certain flosses will fit your personal preference and needs better than others.
At NewMouth, we’ve compiled a list of the best dental floss for all types of teeth:
Transform your smile with the best toothbrushes of 2024. Find your perfect brush here.
6 Best Manual Types of Floss
1. COCOFLOSS Coconut-Oil Infused Woven Dental Floss
Best Overall
Cocofloss is an amazing product that has started making its way into dentist offices and homes. It’s woven with 500 fibers, making it round instead of flat. It’s a waxed floss infused with coconut oil to make it gentle on your gums (and smell like heaven). Cocofloss is vegan, gluten-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and cruelty-free, so you can feel good about using it.
2. Listerine Ultraclean Dental Floss
Best Floss for Bad Breath
Johnson & Johnson Listerine Ultraclean (Formerly Reach) is a great all-around floss and is often recommended by dentists and hygienists. It does a great job of removing plaque buildup that brushing misses. The floss string is nice and thick, so it won’t shred while you’re flossing. Plus, it has a fresh cool mint flavor.
3. Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Clinical Protection Floss
Best Floss for Tight Spaces
Some flosses may be too thick for people with tight spaces in their teeth. Oral-B’s Glide floss is waxed to help it “glide” through your teeth without snapping into your gum line. It’s thin enough to fit between tight spaces to remove plaque and food particles but strong enough that it doesn’t shred.
4. The Humble Co. Natural Dental Floss Picks
Best Floss Picks
The Humble Co.’s Natural floss picks are vegan and biodegradable, using cornstarch as their base. They provide all of the benefits of other great brands like Plackers, including increased ability to get hard-to-reach areas and double threading to ensure the removal of food and plaque. They also add zero-waste to your oral care routine.
5. Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss
Best Floss for Sensitive Gums
Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss expands into interdental spaces to help clean those spaces better. This floss is great for sensitive gums because it’s cushion-soft and can stretch. It’s also made with natural plant and beeswax coating for a smooth texture.
6. Oral-B Super Floss Threaders
Best Floss for Braces, Retainers, & Bridges
Oral-B Super Floss is an excellent tool for anyone with braces, bonded retainers, and dental bridges. Each piece comes precut with three sections, a stiff end for threading and flossing under the appliances, a spongy section to clean all around the appliances and in gaps, and a section of regular mint floss. Dentists often use them in-office, so you know you’re choosing the best tool.
4 Best Water Flossers of 2024
Water flossers, also known as irrigators or Waterpiks, are an alternative to floss. They are ideal for anyone who struggles to add flossing to their daily routine.
They require less dexterity than regular flossing while delivering the same benefits, including removing plaque and calculus.
Here are the top 4 water flossers on the market:
1. Waterpik Aquarius
Best Floss for Braces, Retainers, & Bridges
The best overall water flosser is the Waterpik WP-660 Aquarius Water Flosser. The Aquarius oral irrigator is best for at-home use. When used daily, the device can remove up to 99.9% of plaque between teeth. The Waterpik Aquarius is also 50% more effective than traditional string floss.
The built-in timer/pacer briefly pauses at 30 seconds and 1 minute to help track the flossing time. The device also delivers 1,400 water pulses per minute for a deep clean.
Features:
- Up to 90 seconds of flossing time
- Two modes: hydro-pulse massage mode for gum stimulation and regular floss mode
- Seven flossing tips
- Ten floss settings
- Available in five different colors
- Large water reservoir that holds 22 ounces of water
- On/off water control on handle
- Three-year warranty
- Safe to use on implants, crowns, veneers, braces, and other dental work
2. Waterpik Cordless Advanced
Best Floss for Braces, Retainers, & Bridges
The Waterpik Cordless Advanced is compact and does not have a large water reservoir. This model has four flossing tips, three pressure settings, and 360-degree tip rotation.
It also features a magnetic 4-hour rapid charging system, a waterproof design, and an ultra-quiet operation. It’s perfect for small spaces, travel, and can even be used in the shower.
Features:
- 45 seconds of flossing time
- 4-hour rapid charge
- Four water flossing tips included
- Three different pressure settings (360-degree tip rotation)
- Tip storage case
- Portable and lightweight
- Waterproof and extra quiet
- Available in six different colors
- Two-year warranty
- Safe to use on implants, crowns, veneers, braces, and other dental work
3. Waterpik Cordless Freedom
Best Budget Water Flosser
The Waterpik Cordless Advanced is compact and does not have a large water reservoir. This model has four flossing tips, three pressure settings, and 360-degree tip rotation.
It also features a magnetic 4-hour rapid charging system, a waterproof design, and ultra-quiet operation. It’s perfect for small spaces, travel, and can even be used in the shower.
Features:
- 30 seconds of flossing time
- Waterproof, can be used in the shower
- Two pressure settings
- Three water flossing tips included
- Travel Bag and Plug included
- Ideal for small counters and bathrooms
- No cord or outlet needed
- One-year warranty
- Safe to use on implants, crowns, veneers, braces, and other dental work
4. Waterpik Water Flosser for Kids
Best Water Flosser for Children
Taking care of your oral hygiene from an early age is essential for long-term cavity and gum disease prevention. The Waterpik Water Flosser for Kids is perfect for beginners and can remove 99.9% of plaque between your child’s teeth. It is also smaller than other regular-sized water flossers on the market.
Experience the next level of flossing with 2024's cutting-edge water flossers. See our expert recommendations here.
Why You Should Trust Us
All medical content on this site, including this guide and other product reviews, is written by our team of experienced writers and researchers. All NewMouth writers vet products that are recommended and reviewed in the industry.
In cases where this is not possible, our team will:
- Compare positive and negative reviews on the products
- Talk to company leaders to ensure their products are safe and effective
- Look into costs to ensure customers are getting the best quality products at reasonable prices
- Read research studies to compare the pros and cons of each product
Every piece of content is heavily reviewed before publication. All content on NewMouth is also medically reviewed by a licensed dentist, specifically any content where we recommend products. Our dentists are specifically instructed to flag any recommendations they don’t agree with. Any products that don’t meet their professional standards are removed.
Many of our recommended products have the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance. These products are proven to be effective in preventing gum disease, cavities, and other oral health conditions.
When we recommend products that do not include this seal of acceptance, we conduct further research to ensure reputability. This may include speaking with company leaders, reading hundreds of customer reviews, and ensuring they provide quality customer service.
Dental Floss FAQs
What is the best dental floss to use?
Johnson & Johnson Listerine Ultraclean (Formerly Reach) is one of the top flosses. It often gets recommended by dentists and dental hygienists.
What is the best tool for flossing?
Traditional floss is the best tool in most cases. Floss picks can also help you clean hard-to-reach places. If you have braces, a floss threader makes cleaning your brackets and the area around them easy.
How do you floss with tight teeth?
Use a thin floss designed for tight spaces like Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Clinical Protection Floss.
Which is better, traditional floss or floss picks?
Traditional floss can bend and wrap around your teeth better than the straight piece of floss that floss picks use. However, some people find that floss picks help them clean hard-to-reach places.
Is dental floss or tape better?
Dental tape is wider and flatter than regular dental floss. People with tight spaces between their teeth usually prefer dental floss, while people with wider spaces may enjoy dental tape. Both are available in waxed or unwaxed versions.
Is Reach dental floss discontinued?
It is now available as Johnson & Johnson Listerine Ultraclean.
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