Several years ago, we did an analysis of various dental flosses that were on the market at that time. Our intention was to share how we evaluate product options and explain why we ended up choosing the specific brand of dental floss that we offered to our community for years.
However, over time, many things have changed, including the floss market as well as our dream of what’s possible with a floss product.
We always thought it would be cool to have our HealThy Mouth Blend infused into a dental floss, but we didn’t know anything about floss production. So, the dream was dormant.
That is, until last year when we decided to invest time and attention into this project.
And while we were at it, we really started to dream big.
If the floss could be infused with essential oils, would it be possible to add even more goodness into it?
What has resulted is well beyond what we originally thought possible for a dental floss. This article will share our process of turning a dream into reality. It’ll also introduce you to our novel floss that we think is really awesome (and we hope you will, too).
Our balanced blend of essential oils
Most flosses on the market have some sort of flavoring, with mint or cinnamon being the most common options. For our dental floss, our original wish was to be able to infuse it with a similar balance of warming and cooling essential oils like we do with our HealThy Mouth Blend, and we got it.
Our floss contains a blend of peppermint, cinnamon, and clove oils (and they’re organic–a major bonus!). The only exception to the balanced profile is that our floss production team doesn’t currently work with spearmint essential oil. So, to round out the flavor, we included organic spearmint aroma.
What’s so cool about using balanced essential oils on a dental floss?
Adding our balanced essential oil blend to your floss string helps deliver the oils into gum pockets between molars, where thug bugs love to hide. Flossing with our blend is the absolute best way we’ve found to knock back the thug bugs that are implicated with periodontal disease.
If you’ve been following us for a while, you probably know that to supercharge your flossing routine, we recommend coating the string with our HealThy Mouth Blend. While many of our customers have no issue doing this extra step, some folks have said that they don’t want to take the time or deal with the mess of coating the floss string themselves. Since the essential oils are now ‘built into’ our floss, we can experience the benefits of the oils without having to take that extra step.
What about hydroxyapatite in dental floss?!?
Over the past few years, we’ve been impressed by other companies that have released floss that’s coated with hydroxyapatite. It’s a smart strategy that provides hydroxyapatite’s remineralization support between our teeth.
However, many products use nano size hydroxyapatite, and we aren’t willing to use nanoparticles in our product solutions. Our article, “Nano or No-No? Hydroxyapatite Particle Size Matters“, explains why we steer clear of nanoparticles.
So, as we explored this idea, it was crucial that if we were going to add hydroxyapatite to our dental floss, it had to be microparticle size.
We’re thrilled to share that our new floss has microparticle size hydroxyapatite on it, and the hydroxyapatite is vegan, too!
With that item checked off, the next wish on our list was to include another ingredient that works synergistically with hydroxyapatite to support remineralization…
So, what makes hydroxyapatite work even better?
Xylitol to help deliver the hydroxyapatite where it’s needed
Those of you who have appreciated the benefits of using OraWellness Shine know that its formula intentionally combines microcrystalline hydroxyapatite with non-GMO xylitol.
Xylitol helps carry the hydroxyapatite to demineralized areas, right where it’s most needed.
And yes, our floss production team worked with our unusually high quality standards and confirmed that the xylitol on our floss is indeed non-GMO.
What about the composition and mechanics of the dental floss?
The biggest goal of our oral hygiene routine is to create and maintain a balanced oral microbiome. To accomplish this, one of the primary strategies is to disrupt and disorganize the ‘thug bugs’ that are implicated with gum disease and tooth decay (because they strive to colonize our mouths and dominate the oral microbiome).
It’s important to take consistent, daily action to keep the populations in balance, because these microbes tend to cause trouble when they grow in numbers. And it’s also important to make sure we have the right tools for that job.
A quality floss is an important tool to create positive change. However, not all flosses are created equal…
Some dental flosses are thin, others are thick. Some are ribbons, others are spongy masses of fibers.
While we all have our preferences for the style (largely based on how tight our teeth are together), not all flosses function equally at their job.
Our new dental floss is a ‘fuzzy’ string that fluffs out a bit as you use it. A 2004 clinical trial concluded that this specific type of fuzzy, fluffing floss was 43.92% more effective at removing plaque from between teeth than traditional waxed floss, ribbon/dental tape floss, and thin unwaxed floss.
But how can a thicker dental floss work its way between teeth?
For those of us who have tighter junctions between some teeth, thicker flosses can be problematic. However, despite our concerns about our fuzzy floss being tough to work with, our team has found that the thicker floss has been really comfortable, very resilient, and resistant to shredding.
Is it waxed?
Companies include wax on their flosses in order to make it easier for the string to slide through teeth that are tightly spaced together.
In our own personal experience trying out different flosses, we’ve found two issues with waxes:
- They’re often made from questionable or unclear ingredients.
- In our opinion, there’s often way too much wax on the floss. We’re not fans of picking clumps of wax out of our teeth after flossing.
Problems solved! The wax on our floss is made from sunflower seed wax, olive oil, lacquer tree wax, and sal tree resin (cheers from our vegan friends). And, we use just enough of the wax to help the floss slide between teeth, but not so much that it creates buildup on the floss string (or in your mouth).
Does it have any nasty toxins in it like ribbon flosses?
The ribbon/dental tape types of flosses contain two compounds: PTFE and/or PFOA that just don’t belong in the mouth (or planet for that matter).
These compounds are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” (because they’re extremely persistent organic pollutants) or in more polite circles, by their brand name, Teflon. Teflon has been linked to all sorts of health problems, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and Alzheimer’s.
Thankfully, our floss is free from both PTFE and PFOA. It’s made from nylon, which itself is not our ideal preference because it’s a plastic. However, at least this floss is more eco-friendly than most other plastic flosses…
What about the eco-friendly component?
How can we claim that a nylon floss is eco-friendly? Well, it’s made from 100% recycled water bottles that were repurposed from the plastic waste stream. We consider reusing plastics to be a major step forward toward a more sustainable future.
Plus, the packaging is paperboard with no plastic coatings on it, which makes for an easy-to-compost floss package (please just be sure to keep the box away from water while you’re using it!). And, inside the paperboard packaging, the floss spool itself is inside a compostable cellulose bag made from renewable wood pulp.
So, what did you name your new product?
Naming a new product is kind of like naming a baby.
Our team kicked around lots of ideas in our search for the perfect name.
While discussing the numerous positive qualities of our floss, we kept circling back to just how awesome it is.
And so, we decided to name it… OraWellness Awesome Floss!
Call us corny if you must. 😊
Try it and you be the judge of whether it lives up to its name. We think you’ll find that it does.
Lastly, we even put a fun little note on the box. It’s inside the flap where the floss dispenses from the paperboard container. When you see it, comment down below to let us know what you think. 😉
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