> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://consumernews.ai/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Dental floss is losing its ‘forever chemicals.’ Why didn't manufacturers tell consumers? - URL: https://consumernews.ai/dental-floss-is-losing-its-forever-chemicals-why-didnt-manufacturers-tell-consumers/ - Published: 2026-10-18T20:31:26.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-18T20:31:26.000Z - Description: There's a reason some dental floss slides so smoothly between your teeth. - Author: The Editors - Tags: Health Major brands are quietly removing potentially harmful chemicals from products millions of Americans put in their mouths every day. The changes raise questions about product safety, disclosure and whether consumers should have been informed sooner. - Oral-B Glide and other popular dental floss brands are being reformulated to eliminate PTFE, a slippery material belonging to the PFAS family of chemicals. - Scientific studies have raised concerns about possible chemical exposure, although researchers have not established that using PTFE-containing floss causes disease. - Consumers may notice that their favorite floss feels different, but manufacturers have provided little public explanation of the changes, leaving shoppers to figure out what they're buying. ## The floss that slipped easily between your teeth had a secret For years, one of the selling points of premium dental floss was how easily it slipped between tightly spaced teeth. Products such as Oral-B Glide offered a smooth, almost frictionless experience that made flossing more comfortable. The secret ingredient was often polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE — a synthetic fluoropolymer best known as the material associated with Teflon. Now that ingredient is disappearing from some of the country's best-known floss brands. According to an October 18 report in [The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/10/18/dental-floss-cleans-up-its-act-ditches-potentially-harmful-chemicals/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com), Procter & Gamble has reformulated its Oral-B Glide products to eliminate both PTFE and PFAS. The replacement is a micro-textured fiber using nylon and an elastic polymer called Pebax. The difference hasn't escaped consumers. Some have taken to online discussions to complain that their floss has become rougher, less slippery and more difficult to maneuver between teeth. What many didn't realize was that the altered texture reflected a significant change in the chemical composition of a familiar household product. ## Research raised questions years ago Concerns about PTFE-containing dental floss are hardly new. In 2019, researchers associated with the Silent Spring Institute published findings suggesting that certain dental floss products might contribute to exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS. These chemicals have attracted increasing scientific and regulatory scrutiny because many persist in the environment and some accumulate in the human body. The researchers examined blood samples from women participating in a study of environmental chemical exposures. Women who reported using Oral-B Glide had higher concentrations of PFHxS, one member of the PFAS family. The researchers also tested 18 dental floss products for fluorine, which can indicate the presence of fluorinated materials. The positive samples included three varieties of Glide floss, two store-brand products marketed as comparable to Glide, and a Colgate product containing Teflon fiber. But there was an important limitation: The investigators did not demonstrate that the floss itself caused the higher blood concentrations. The fluorine tests identified fluorinated material, not the specific chemical PFHxS. Other environmental exposures or lifestyle factors could have contributed to the findings. ## A newer study complicates the picture A study published in January 2025 in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology examined data from 6,750 U.S. adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2009 and 2020. Researchers found that people who reported flossing had somewhat higher blood concentrations of PFOA, another PFAS chemical, than people who did not floss. But the results were not uniformly alarming. Floss users actually had lower concentrations of several other PFAS chemicals and a lower overall PFAS burden score. The researchers concluded that additional investigation is needed to determine whether flossing itself contributes to exposure. The study also did not establish which brands or materials participants used. That distinction matters. Research has established health concerns involving certain PFAS compounds, but it has not established that ordinary dental floss use causes cancer or other serious diseases. Nor should all members of the large PFAS chemical family be assumed to have identical health effects. ## Why the chemicals matter PFAS are used in products ranging from stain-resistant fabrics and food packaging to industrial materials and firefighting foams. Their appeal is straightforward: Many resist water, grease, heat and chemical degradation. Unfortunately, those same properties can make them persist in the environment long after a product is discarded. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, exposure to certain PFAS compounds has been associated with: - Elevated cholesterol levels. - Reduced antibody responses to some vaccines. - Changes in liver enzymes. - Pregnancy-related complications, including high blood pressure. - Small reductions in birth weight. - Increased risks of kidney and testicular cancers associated with PFOA. The strength of the evidence varies by chemical and health outcome. PTFE itself is a large polymer, and its behavior in the body is not the same as that of smaller PFAS compounds such as PFOA and PFHxS. Potential contamination, manufacturing processes and environmental disposal present additional questions. The concern is therefore not that every strand of PTFE floss has been demonstrated to poison its user. It is that manufacturers used a persistent fluorinated material when nonfluorinated alternatives were available, while consumers often had little information about the choice. ## Manufacturers finally make the switch Colgate began eliminating PTFE from its dental floss in 2022, according to statements cited by The Washington Post. The company attributed the decision to consumer concerns while maintaining that the material had been safe in its floss. Procter & Gamble has now confirmed that Oral-B Glide has been reformulated using a new fiber composition. The companies' changes reflect a larger retreat from intentionally added PFAS in consumer products, driven by regulatory pressure, environmental concerns and growing consumer awareness. But the transitions create another problem. A shopper who has used the same dental floss for years might reasonably assume that the product inside the familiar package is essentially unchanged. Instead, both its physical performance and its ingredients may be different. There is no indication in the reporting that the new formulation is less effective at cleaning between teeth. But consumers may have to experiment with different floss types to find one that performs comfortably. ## State regulators are doing what federal officials haven't Minnesota has emerged as one of the most aggressive states in restricting PFAS in everyday products. Under its sweeping Amara's Law, which began taking effect January 1, 2025, products containing intentionally added PFAS are prohibited in 11 categories. Dental floss is specifically included. Other covered categories include cookware, cosmetics, cleaning products, carpeting, upholstered furniture and menstrual products. The law is helping push manufacturers toward alternatives that can be sold nationwide, potentially benefiting consumers even in states without comparable restrictions. Minnesota's Pollution Control Agency says PFAS-free alternatives are already widely available in the affected product categories. That raises a familiar question in consumer protection: If a safer or less environmentally persistent material can perform the same job, why did it take years of research, public pressure and state legislation to encourage the switch? ## What the research says: Concern is justified, panic isn't What scientists know Certain dental floss products have contained PTFE, a PFAS polymer. Earlier research has identified fluorinated materials in some flosses and associations between reported floss use and concentrations of particular PFAS chemicals in blood. What scientists haven't established Researchers have not demonstrated that using PTFE dental floss causes cancer, immune disorders or other specific diseases. The amount of exposure attributable to floss remains uncertain. What has changed Major manufacturers are shifting away from PTFE, and states including Minnesota have restricted intentionally added PFAS in dental floss. The practical conclusion Choosing verified PTFE-free floss is a reasonable way to avoid an unnecessary potential source of exposure. It is not a reason to abandon daily cleaning between teeth. ## Consumer checklist: How to choose dental floss without PFAS Consumers who want to avoid PTFE have several options, although packaging can be confusing. - Look for PTFE-free labeling. Some manufacturers explicitly identify products as free of PTFE or PFAS. - Check the material. Nylon, polyester and silk are commonly used floss materials that do not inherently require PTFE. - Don't assume all waxed floss contains PFAS. Wax coatings and PTFE fibers are different things. Ask about the complete product formulation. - Check old packages. A current reformulation does not establish what material was used in an older package sitting in a bathroom cabinet. - Ask manufacturers directly. Request confirmation that the specific product contains no intentionally added PFAS, including in its coatings. - Try another style if the new floss catches or shreds. Thinner nylon floss, woven floss, dental tape or an appropriately sized interdental brush may work better. - Keep cleaning between your teeth. The American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day and cleaning between teeth once daily with floss or another interdental cleaner. The ADA's Seal of Acceptance can help identify products evaluated for oral-health safety and effectiveness, but consumers should not assume it is a specific PFAS-free certification. ## The larger issue: What else is changing without consumers knowing? Dental floss is a relatively inexpensive product. Most consumers buy it without thinking much about its chemical composition. That is precisely what makes this episode significant. Manufacturers have spent decades developing materials that make everyday products more convenient, longer-lasting and easier to use. Sometimes the chemicals involved have later raised environmental or health concerns. Consumers generally learn about those concerns only after scientists investigate them, lawsuits are filed, regulators act or companies reformulate their products. And when manufacturers quietly change ingredients, shoppers may be left wondering why something they've used for years suddenly feels or performs differently. In this case, the immediate advice is reassuringly simple: Keep flossing, and choose a product without intentionally added PFAS if you want to minimize potential exposure. The harder question is why it took so long for an ordinary household product to undergo this scrutiny — and why consumers weren't more clearly informed about what had been in it all along. SOURCE MATERIAL AND FURTHER READING The story draws on [The Washington Post's October 18 report](https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/10/18/dental-floss-cleans-up-its-act-ditches-potentially-harmful-chemicals/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com), the [2019 Silent Spring-associated research](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-018-0109-y?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com), the [2025 clinical research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12082771/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com), and guidance from the [Minnesota Pollution Control Agency](https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/2025-pfas-prohibitions?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) and [American Dental Association](https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/floss/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com).