If you ask our staff about Cocolab, many people will say it’s the only floss they’ll consistently use. The two-time NBC Select Wellness Award winner is made with recycled polyester, vegan wax and coconut oil, the latter of which helps the string glide between teeth and under gums. It also has a textured weave of interwoven threads that expands while you use it and contracts to fit into tight spaces. “I made a promise to myself last year to floss consistently, and Cocolab’s floss has helped with that process,” says NBC Select commerce editor Jordan Bowman. “It’s a bit thick, so it easily grabs any plague or food scraps from in between my teeth.” Once you buy a Cocolab dispenser, which comes filled with floss, you can refill it when you run out — the brand sells replacement spools in over a dozen flavors, like mint, passion fruit, confetti cake, apple cinnamon and unflavored.
I find it challenging to floss my teeth with string, so I keep a big container of these floss picks at home and use them multiple times a day. I also put small pouches of them in every bag I carry, as well as in my desk drawer at the office. The pick’s head has a minty, shred-resistant, fluoride-infused piece of string floss on it, plus a built-in tongue scraper. The end of the pick’s handle is pointy and textured, so you can slip it between your teeth to loosen pieces of food or dirt that get extra stuck. The pickers come in packs of 20, 90 and 150.
Oral-B’s floss is a basic, traditional string floss. The string is flat, silky and lightly coated in natural wax to easily slide into tight spaces, and it’s shred-resistant, according to the brand. It’s also textured to better grip your teeth. The floss comes in mint or unflavored.
Because this string floss is wider than most standard options, it has more surface area, so it’s ideal for those with bigger gaps between their teeth, according to the brand. You can buy the shred-resistant floss, which is made from plastic materials like nylon, waxed or unwaxed. It’s available unflavored, as well as in mint and cinnamon flavors.
Tom’s of Maine’s string floss is made from nylon and natural ingredients like bee’s, carnauba and jojoba wax. Plus, it’s free from artificial preservatives, colors and flavors. The flat floss is thick and durable so it doesn’t snap or fray while you’re using it, and it easily glides between teeth while being gentle on the gums, according to the brand. The floss comes in a spearmint flavor.
Teaching children how to floss when they’re young helps them establish healthy dental care habits early on in life, says Dr. Amr Moursi, a professor and chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the New York University College of Dentistry. These DenTek flossers are kid-friendly versions of the brand’s standard picks — they come in bright colors, and have a wild fruit flavor, a smaller head and an easy-grip handle for little hands. The string floss on the head is coated in fluoride and won’t break during use, preventing kids from getting frustrated or discouraged.
Quip’s refillable floss comes in a compact case with a pop-up top to cut string. The waxed, mint-flavored, shred-resistant nylon string is pre-marked every 18 inches so you know exactly how much to use, and it expands as you slide it between teeth, helping you identify what parts are dirty versus clean. You can buy floss string refills as needed, or subscribe on Quip’s website to get a shipment every three months.
Traditional string floss is considered the gold standard among dentists, but floss is not one-size-fits-all. Ultimately, the best floss is the one you’ll commit to using daily. Below, learn about the different types of floss and who each is typically best for.
When people think of dental floss, also commonly called string floss, it’s usually the threaded variety that comes on a spool. But there’s also dental tape, which is a broader, flatter type of floss, says Hewlett. It’s particularly useful for people with larger spaces between their teeth since it covers more surface area, says Saba. String floss and dental tape are the most widely recommended types of floss among dentists because the majority of flossing research studies are conducted with them, so there’s a lot of data showing their effectiveness.
Floss picks are similarly effective compared to string floss, experts say. They resemble a wand and have a small piece of string floss at the forked end, so you can grip the handle while using the tool. Floss picks are generally easy to use, especially when flossing a child’s teeth. They’re also ideal for those with dexterity issues, like arthritis, or for those who have trouble wrapping string floss around their fingers and accessing hard-to-reach areas, says Saba.
Dental work like braces, bridges and crowns can block floss from slipping between teeth, making flossing challenging. Interdental brushes — which look like little spoolie brushes — can pass through the spaces between teeth and under any dental work, allowing you to remove plaque.
Interdental cleaners have bristles on one end and a handle to grip on the other. To use them, you point the brush at the gum line between teeth and push it through, moving the bristles around the space to remove plaque, says Hewlett. The brushes come in various shapes and sizes.
Water flossers are powered devices that shoot pressurized water at the spaces between teeth, targeting debris to disrupt and flush out plaque. You have to aim and angle the tool’s nozzle correctly for a certain amount of time in order for it to be effective, so it requires some practice, says Moursi. Water flossers also tend to be messy — while using one, you hold your mouth over a sink since water pours out during use. The tools are challenging to use on the go, too.
Anyone can use water flossers, but they’re most beneficial for those who have difficulty using string floss and floss picks, including those with certain types of dental work, like braces, bridges and crowns.
Compared to floss picks, string floss can be tricker to handle, since it’s only effective when you’re using the correct technique. Below, Saba breaks down exactly what to do, but if you’re still having trouble at home, ask your dentist to demonstrate the next time you’re at their office.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I’m a reporter at NBC Select who has been covering dental care since 2020. I’ve written articles about electric toothbrushes, at-home whitening treatments, mouthwash, fluoride and different types of toothpaste. To write this article, I interviewed three dentists about how to shop for and properly use floss, and used their guidance to round up the best options.
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