Guilty No More: Flossing Doesn’t Work

An AP investigation finds weak evidence that flossing helps.

<a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/g/TinnaPong">TinnaPong</a>/Shutterstock

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


After years of judgment from dentists and abandoned New Year’s resolutions, we may now say without shame: “No, I don’t floss.”

Despite dentists and federal health agencies recommending flossing for decades, the Associated Press looked at research from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture, and found little evidence that flossing actually helps keep your mouth clean.

Incredibly, reviewing studies that compared the effectiveness of using floss and brushing teeth to only brushing, the AP found most evidence was “weak” or “very low” that floss helps get rid of plaque.

The American Dental Association has already responded, saying it continues to recommend flossing once a day.

“Interdental cleaners such as floss are an essential part of taking care of your teeth and gums,” an ADA press release said. “Cleaning between teeth removes plaque that can lead to cavities or gum disease from the areas where a toothbrush can’t reach.”

The ADA provides a “seal of approval” to floss products that meet their safety and effectiveness standards, and charges manufacturers $14,500 for the initial evaluation, according to the AP. The ADA tells the AP it doesn’t profit from the evaluations, but the AP notes that companies are allowed to design their studies.

Many of the studies that best supported flossing, the AP found, didn’t test enough people, used outdated methods, or were too short to be conclusive. Notably, last year’s edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans removed flossing from its recommendations.

As one review of the literature on flossing put it: “The majority of available studies fail to demonstrate that flossing is generally effective in plaque removal.”

Fact:

Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do.

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2022 demands.

payment methods

Fact:

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2022 demands.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate