4 ms·

In related news, 33% of dental floss tested in 2022 was found to have contained levels ranging from 11 parts per million to 248,900 ppm. https://news.ycombinat

In related news, 33% of dental floss tested in 2022 was found to have contained levels ranging from 11 parts per million to 248,900 ppm. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40471525 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40471525

jjtheblunt 2y ago
Interestingly our dentist says waterpik devices work better. Not sure what data exists supporting either.
- tangjurine 2y ago
  Flossing doesn't replace water picking, and vice versa.
- cole-k 2y ago
  I've heard differently from the two dentists I've seen. The first suggested using a water pick and the second told me it was fine as a first pass but I still needed to floss. Might be because my teeth are very close to each other though. If there's evidence stronger than a dentist's opinion, I'd like to hear it, because I preferred the water pick...
  - porknubbins 2y ago
    Can confirm that water pick and flossing work differently. Flossing is not primarily to dislodge food particles but distupt bacteria between teeth. So just water pick alone would be like trying to wash your car by just hosing it down with mild pressure. You want to firsh disrupt bacteria with mechanical action them flush them away with water.
  - jjtheblunt 2y ago
    That’s a good point that i never thought to ask about, how tight teeth fit might have influenced the advice i heard.
  - zigzag312 2y ago
    My dentist recommends interdental brushes over flossing. Interdental brushes are more effective in removing plaque than floss. [0,1] Water picks are good for reducing gingival inflammation. [1] [0] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19820738/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19820738/ [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6630384/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6630384/
- rqtwteye 2y ago
  My waterpik has solved pretty much all of my gum problems. I have one attached to my shower which is very convenient. Highly recommended.
  - j-bos 2y ago
    Where did you get the attachment? Or which brand model?
    - rqtwteye 2y ago
      It’s called Showerbreeze
- fermentation 2y ago
  Was also sold one by my dentist. Turns out you still have to floss so it was just another thing I paid for at the dentist that I didn't really need. Cool.
  - ghufran_syed 2y ago
    try alternately flossing, then using the waterpik, or vice versa. You’ll find that either way, the second modality dislodges food particles left behind by the first. I take that as evidence that both > one > neither in terms of dental health and this of course assumes you then also brush your teeth.
- OutOfHere 2y ago
  Both have independent benefits. Most importantly, using a waterpik is never a replacement for flossing.
stouset 2y ago
That’s… 1/4 PFAS. At that point it’s essentially made of PFAS. I’m not 100% convinced this is that problematic though. You floss and then rinse/spit. And of course this would only need to get rid of the quantity actually shed from the strand. It would be interesting to see the load actually consumed on average, but my gut says it’s probably irrelevant. The real issue is the unchecked spread into our environment, causing us (and everything else) to unavoidably ingest it regularly and without limit. Edit: To be clear, my general position on PFAS is “broadly enact bans on its use out of sheer caution” due how rapidly it’s turning up in the environment. This would be no exception. I’m just saying I’d be surprised if its presence in dental floss actually contributed meaningfully to your daily load given the amount you consume incidentally due to widespread environmental contamination.
- r00fus 2y ago
  It's the mouth - a whole lot of kids aren't spitting properly and swallowing a bunch of the organoflorines. Also your dentist is probably using Glide stuff which is the biggest offender. As a side note, definitely switch to silk floss - completely natural stuff + wax. I prefer the Radius brand since they were the first.
  - stouset 2y ago
    Nice to know. I’m not a regular flosser but I do have Glide floss. I never considered that it contains PFAS, it was just the first thing I grabbed. I’ll toss it and switch just to be safe.
- novia 2y ago
  Some people get bleeding gums when they floss, which would introduce the PFAS directly to the bloodstream..
- datatrashfire 2y ago
  It also accumulates in the environment after you spit it down the drain.
gravitronic 2y ago
Has those tests been repeated by any other researchers? The company refutes the results and I've never heard of this group previously. Not refuting the risk but would like corroboration
- Jimmc414 2y ago
  Should be easy for Proctor & Gamble or Johnson & Johnson to have grounds for a lawsuit if that's the case. I'd love it if they sued ehn.org so we could clear it all up.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
andrewstuart2 2y ago
Good thing I only aspire to floss regularly, since we primarily use Glide.
nate_meurer 2y ago
No, they tested for organic fluorine, and then acted surprised when they predictably realized that many floss products contain PTFE, widely known as Teflon, which we've already known for decades. It's not a secret, and it is in fact the only floss that I can use on my tightly arranged teeth. PTFE is not a PFAS in the sense used in health research. Teflon is a hard, waxy plastic which is among the most inert, biologically inactive substances known. It is used everywhere from medical implants, Gore-Tex, and other clothing, teflon tape used to seal plumbing joints in your house, and many other other common uses. There is no evidence (that is, evidence from scientifically solid studies-- there are a couple poor ones), that any dental floss raises physiologic levels of PFAS. The reason you know this reporting is bullshit is that nobody is proposing that we outlaw teflon tape in drinking water plumbing, even though it's made from the same plastic as the best floss products.

jjtheblunt 2y ago

Interestingly our dentist says waterpik devices work better. Not sure what data exists supporting either.

tangjurine 2y ago
Flossing doesn't replace water picking, and vice versa.
cole-k 2y ago
I've heard differently from the two dentists I've seen. The first suggested using a water pick and the second told me it was fine as a first pass but I still needed to floss. Might be because my teeth are very close to each other though. If there's evidence stronger than a dentist's opinion, I'd like to hear it, because I preferred the water pick...
- porknubbins 2y ago
  Can confirm that water pick and flossing work differently. Flossing is not primarily to dislodge food particles but distupt bacteria between teeth. So just water pick alone would be like trying to wash your car by just hosing it down with mild pressure. You want to firsh disrupt bacteria with mechanical action them flush them away with water.
- jjtheblunt 2y ago
  That’s a good point that i never thought to ask about, how tight teeth fit might have influenced the advice i heard.
- zigzag312 2y ago
  My dentist recommends interdental brushes over flossing. Interdental brushes are more effective in removing plaque than floss. [0,1] Water picks are good for reducing gingival inflammation. [1] [0] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19820738/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19820738/ [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6630384/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6630384/
rqtwteye 2y ago
My waterpik has solved pretty much all of my gum problems. I have one attached to my shower which is very convenient. Highly recommended.
- j-bos 2y ago
  Where did you get the attachment? Or which brand model?
  - rqtwteye 2y ago
    It’s called Showerbreeze
fermentation 2y ago
Was also sold one by my dentist. Turns out you still have to floss so it was just another thing I paid for at the dentist that I didn't really need. Cool.
- ghufran_syed 2y ago
  try alternately flossing, then using the waterpik, or vice versa. You’ll find that either way, the second modality dislodges food particles left behind by the first. I take that as evidence that both > one > neither in terms of dental health and this of course assumes you then also brush your teeth.
OutOfHere 2y ago
Both have independent benefits. Most importantly, using a waterpik is never a replacement for flossing.

stouset 2y ago

That’s… 1/4 PFAS. At that point it’s essentially made of PFAS. I’m not 100% convinced this is that problematic though. You floss and then rinse/spit. And of course this would only need to get rid of the quantity actually shed from the strand. It would be interesting to see the load actually consumed on average, but my gut says it’s probably irrelevant. The real issue is the unchecked spread into our environment, causing us (and everything else) to unavoidably ingest it regularly and without limit. Edit: To be clear, my general position on PFAS is “broadly enact bans on its use out of sheer caution” due how rapidly it’s turning up in the environment. This would be no exception. I’m just saying I’d be surprised if its presence in dental floss actually contributed meaningfully to your daily load given the amount you consume incidentally due to widespread environmental contamination.

r00fus 2y ago
It's the mouth - a whole lot of kids aren't spitting properly and swallowing a bunch of the organoflorines. Also your dentist is probably using Glide stuff which is the biggest offender. As a side note, definitely switch to silk floss - completely natural stuff + wax. I prefer the Radius brand since they were the first.
- stouset 2y ago
  Nice to know. I’m not a regular flosser but I do have Glide floss. I never considered that it contains PFAS, it was just the first thing I grabbed. I’ll toss it and switch just to be safe.
novia 2y ago
Some people get bleeding gums when they floss, which would introduce the PFAS directly to the bloodstream..
datatrashfire 2y ago
It also accumulates in the environment after you spit it down the drain.

gravitronic 2y ago

Has those tests been repeated by any other researchers? The company refutes the results and I've never heard of this group previously. Not refuting the risk but would like corroboration

Jimmc414 2y ago
Should be easy for Proctor & Gamble or Johnson & Johnson to have grounds for a lawsuit if that's the case. I'd love it if they sued ehn.org so we could clear it all up.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

andrewstuart2 2y ago

Good thing I only aspire to floss regularly, since we primarily use Glide.

nate_meurer 2y ago

No, they tested for organic fluorine, and then acted surprised when they predictably realized that many floss products contain PTFE, widely known as Teflon, which we've already known for decades. It's not a secret, and it is in fact the only floss that I can use on my tightly arranged teeth. PTFE is not a PFAS in the sense used in health research. Teflon is a hard, waxy plastic which is among the most inert, biologically inactive substances known. It is used everywhere from medical implants, Gore-Tex, and other clothing, teflon tape used to seal plumbing joints in your house, and many other other common uses. There is no evidence (that is, evidence from scientifically solid studies-- there are a couple poor ones), that any dental floss raises physiologic levels of PFAS. The reason you know this reporting is bullshit is that nobody is proposing that we outlaw teflon tape in drinking water plumbing, even though it's made from the same plastic as the best floss products.