Smart Floss - Natural, PTFE & PFAS Free Floss, Gentle on Gums, Expands & Stretches, BPA Free Floss - Natural Dental Floss Cardamom Flavor (Pack of 3)

Many of us in the dental profession are mourning the loss of Gentle Gum Care woven floss (formerly made by Reach, then Listerine). It’s been the profession’s favorite (my opinion) for years. No one knows what happened to it- you just can’t find it anywhere. So what’s the best alternative? I decided to try out a few candidates. Cocofloss (26 cents/yd)- good sturdy floss, slightly coarse texture, medium thickness, subtle coconut flavor. Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss (14.4 cents/yd)- thickest of the bunch, very soft texture, slight cardamom flavor. Xlent Expandable Floss with Charcoal (~10 cents/meter)- medium thickness, waxy texture, nice mint flavor. Hayden Expanding Floss (~10.5 cents/yard)- only slightly thicker than normal floss, medium texture, subtle mint flavor. First a word about expandable flosses- they only expand when you are not pulling on them. But flossing involves pushing and pulling and scraping up and down. You can’t floss your teeth effectively without putting pressure on the floss. So when you’re flossing, they are not expanded. All four of these flosses splay a bit when flossing, to look more like ribbon. The thicker the floss, the more it splays. So which do I like the best? I like Dr. Tung’s. I love the thickness and the soft, fluffy texture. And I happen to like cardamom, though I will admit it’s not as refreshing as mint. It is a bit more expensive than the cheaper flosses in the group, but not on the level of Cocofloss. I think it’s worth the extra pennies. Cocofloss is good if you want a coarser texture to make it feel like you’re really scraping your teeth, and if you don’t mind paying a hefty premium. Xlent floss was a bit too waxy for my taste, and the black color is a bit odd (though I can’t see it when it’s in my mouth). But I liked its flavor the best and it feels like it does a good job. So if you want the cheapest, but effective floss, it’s the best value. Hayden floss is better than regular floss, but it comes in a distance fourth for me. Of course, you will likely have a different order than I do. But hopefully, this will give you some idea what they’re like. Final note- none of these flosses feel the same as our beloved Gentle Gum Care woven floss. And all of them are more expensive. But to their credit, none of them come unraveled like our favorite woven floss tended to do. And all of them will do a fine job removing plaque. Once I get over the mourning period, I will probably like Dr. Tung’s just as much. RIP

My teeth have shifted a bit so that the space between them is a bit wider. Before that my teeth were actually tight together and the only floss I could use was dental tape that was flat and slippery. It was great until my teeth were farther apart. Now that my teeth aren’t so tight together, I had to double the tape and regular floss to do a decent job at flossing. I had my latest dental appointment and the dental hygienist mentioned that I was missing areas of my teeth when I flossed. I’ve always been a flosser and my teeth are usually pretty clean. I’ve never been told that I’m missing places while flossing. The hygienist recommended this particular floss to help with the wider spaces. I like this floss; it does a great job at expanding so that it cleans between my teeth better. There’s a place in my bottom, rear molars that shreds regular floss and it sometimes gets stuck but this floss does not shred there. It does get a little stuck but slides out easier than the regular flosses. I don’t especially like the taste and wish there was a mint flavor but I’m getting used to it. I initially thought it was a bit on the expensive side but there’s a lot of floss. Plus the packaging is truly recyclable (except the inner plastic bag that holds the floss but at least the plastic is minimal). I like flossing; it makes my teeth feel clean and I like this dental floss. I miss the minty freshness of my former floss but it’s not a deal breaker. I would recommend this floss to anyone who has wider gaps between their teeth.

This is the best floss I've ever used. Not some wimpy synthetic string that cuts your gums, but a good stout fiber that's easy on the gums and has a cardamon scent.

I never thought I would feel so passionately about a dental tool but here we are. Everything about this is perfect. THE PACKAGING This is not your grandma’s flip top floss unraveled. No no, this thing is CIRCULAR, the Millennial’s favorite shape. To open, it’s an easy lefty loosey, no fingernail damage required. The string then comes through a slit in the inner ring to be cut with the standard floss cutting apparatus for which I am sure there is a name. Also the COLORS of the packaging are delightful- some are a delightful bright magenta and others are a light sea green- but ALL are a little bit see through so you can see how much of this wonderful tooth string you have left, unlike Johnson and Johnson who might run out on you before you even know you’re low. THE FLAVOR Nothing overwhelming here. It’s a light cardamom taste. Now I don’t know about you, but I associate cardamom with British royalty. This adds a whole new layer of fancy to this product. THE INGREDIENTS I bought my first container of this at Natural Grocers. If you’re not familiar with this store, they are stricter than my second grade teach Miss Shillito (God rest her soul) when it comes to what they allow in their sold goods. The packaging and floss are BPA free so your fertility is safe with this one. The string is made of a multifilament polyester fiber- maybe not the best for micro plastics but it does serve a purpose. The floss is coated with a beeswax blended with candelila, castor, and/or carnauba oil and rice bran wax- all naturally derived and not industrial waste products (I’m looking at you, canola oil). The cardamom flavor comes from essential oil. All of this is pretty safe. THE FUNCTION First of all, she thicc. This gal isn’t gonna cut your gums like a knife as other good intentioned natural flosses will- and this is because they are too thin. Our gums are sensitive souls- especially if you already have some inflammation going on or you’re pregnant. I’ve noticed an elimination of gum bleeding and pain with daily use of this product. Also, Talk about a tooth hug. The floss gets EVEN WIDER when you wrap it around your little chewers so it covers more surface area- the point of flossing is to wipe the tooth clean, and this girl makes that easy. I highly recommend this product! I was struggling with bleeding gums for a couple of months and that problem disappeared within a week of my switch to this from another floss brand. Just use it every night before sleep- yea, every night. You only get one set of free teeth and dental work ain’t cheap.

I love this floss, but because of the cost I'm not sure if I can afford to repurchase. I absolutely would otherwise.