Flossing your teeth is an essential part of your dental health routine. The NHS recommended daily flossing to keep plaque and tartar at bay to retain a healthy mouth and gums. But getting the technique right can be tricky, and reaching your back teeth for effective flossing can take a bit of practice. So if you’re fed up with wrangling with bits of floss and would like an easier solution, then our dental floss picks buying guide is here to help.
In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know, including exactly how to use floss picks. We’ve also compiled a list of our best floss picks including Glide Floss Picks from Oral B, and the Sensitive Soft Ribbon Floss Picks from Dentek from online UK retailers such as Boots and Amazon. Let's get that breath fresh, those teeth clean, and those gums healthy!
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Table of Contents
If you've ever flossed, you'll know that getting it right requires using both hands and a solid technique to manoeuvre the floss around your mouth and in between your teeth. This can be fiddly business, especially when it comes to doing the back teeth, but floss picks provide a much simpler solution.
Floss picks are small plastic holders that allow you to floss with one hand. This holder keeps the floss taught so you can easily get it between all of your teeth. Being small and disposable, floss picks are super handy for popping into your handbag if you're going out for dinner.
As well as cleaning in between your teeth, the taught floss picks can also be used as a tongue scraper, which will improve your oral hygiene and keep your breath fresh. Plus, the handle doubles up as a toothpick - hence the name floss pick!
Most floss picks come in the traditional "P" shape, with the floss stretched across the gap and the handle which forms the pick. While these are fairly common and easy to get hold of, they don't offer the best control and can mean that you accidentally bump and irritate your gums.
On the other hand, some floss picks are in a "Y" shape, which gives you a better angle to get around your mouth more easily. While these aren't as widely available, they cause less irritation and are better suited to those with sensitive teeth.
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Dental floss has to work surprisingly hard, as it needs to squeeze through the smallest of gaps between your teeth. If you suffer from sensitive teeth, the pulling action used when flossing can be fairly abrasive and might irritate your teeth and gums.
Many floss picks use traditional thread style dental floss, but if you feel you need to be a bit more gentle on your teeth and gums, tape floss can be an excellent alternative as it is much smoother. It glides through your gums easily while still cleaning out any debris and tartar between your teeth.
Some floss picks feature ingredients that provide added benefits to your oral hygiene - charcoal being one of the most popular. Activated charcoal is often added to dental products to help whiten teeth and eliminate any lingering odours in your mouth.
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Another common ingredient in dental products is fluoride, which is often found in toothpaste, mouthwash, and also floss picks. Fluoride mixes with your saliva, which keeps your teeth strong and helps protect your enamel from plaque, sugars and tooth decay.
Most floss picks available are made from plastic. While this material provides excellent value for money, it's good to be mindful of reducing the amount of single-use plastics we use. With this in mind, there are now a few floss picks available that are made from starches or include added materials.
This means that while they still contain some element of plastic, it's much less than the standard floss pick. If you’re trying to reduce your impact on the environment, then an eco-friendly product definitely something to look into.
Having fresh breath is high on the agenda for most people, and it's one of the main objectives of good mouth hygiene. Most dental hygiene products, from toothpaste to mouthwash, have flavours of some sort (usually mint) to freshen your breath and leave you with a squeaky clean feeling in your mouth.
Some floss picks also have a flavour impregnated into the floss so that when you use them, they leave behind a fresh aftertaste. This can help leave a freshness that will last long after you’ve cleaned your teeth and is really useful as a quick freshen up while you’re out and about.
Another way to fight bad breath is to use mouthwashes specifically for it as it works to get rid of malodour-causing bacteria.
£7.99
Oral-B's Glide floss picks feature a patented tension control design, allowing the floss to surround the tooth surface to give it a thorough clean. This design makes it easy to reach the back teeth and floss with one hand, making gliding between your teeth almost no effort.
We love the design of the handle, as you can tailor your technique by simply squeezing it to adjust the tension of the floss. The floss is strong and won't break easily, and is so easy to handle. All of these reasons are exactly why this product is our number one!
£7.65
Placker's floss picks were created specifically not to shred, break, or stretch by utilising Tuffloss, a super-strong floss. They slide easily in between your teeth, providing a great clean, and the pack of 150 offers amazing value for money.
The whole pick on these is strong, not just the floss, making them easy to get around your entire mouth. The mint flavour is potent but not overpowering, and the floss makes light work of getting any food residue and tartar from in between your teeth.
£4.00
These Fun Flossers from DenTek are a great take on the usual floss pick you find for adults, as they have a funky, easy-to-grip handle and a fresh, fruity flavour. The floss is also coated with fluoride to help teeth grow and stay healthy and strong.
These are a great buy if you want to teach your kids good oral hygiene and introduce them to flossing so they can keep their teeth and gums healthy. The tape floss also makes the process much more gentle on children's gums.
£4.99
The Humble Co. picks are made primarily from cornstarch to reduce the amount of plastic they contain - even the packaging is made from eco-friendly paper for a guilt-free disposal. The floss is double-threaded, shred-resistant and coated with natural xylitol and mint to give it a lovely fresh taste.
That said, those with narrow gaps between their teeth may find these floss picks tricky to use, but if you can get the hang of it, the double string allows for a super thorough brushing, getting everything out from in between your teeth.
£5.99
These floss picks by the well-known, trusted dental brand Oral-B will slide easily between your teeth without any shredding. The pack of 75 offers great value for money, and the minty flavour leaves a lovely fresh zing in your mouth.
However, the pick part on this option is a little on the short side, making it trickier to get into all the nooks and crannies in your mouth. But aside from this, these picks are super sturdy and make a visible difference to your gum health in just a few weeks.
£6.00
These floss picks from DenTek are perfect if you suffer from sensitive teeth and need something a bit more gentle to clean between them. The curved pick allows you to access all areas of your mouth without using too much pressure whilst stimulating the gums to keep them healthy and help prevent gum disease.
While these are great for sensitive teeth, the tape does tend to stretch and come away from the pick if you use too much pressure. However, we think this is a great solution to keeping your gums healthy without any risk of irritation.
£4.99
The polymer in these floss picks contain charcoal which helps absorb any bad breath smells or lingering food odours. This is also bolstered by the fresh mint flavour in the floss and the angled pick, which can reach between your teeth to remove anything left behind after brushing.
The flavour on these picks isn't very strong, which is a shame as what is there, tastes nice and fresh. Aside from this, the floss on is pretty fine but still strong, so these should work really well even if you have tight gaps between your teeth.
£3.70
Claradent's floss picks are made of a nylon thread that has been waxed to make it glide smoothly between your teeth. The floss is also shred resistant making it strong and durable, and the pick is narrow enough to get between your teeth, providing a thorough cleaning.
The wax coating makes the floss feel a little thicker than others, so they may take some getting used to. Aside from this, the handles are sturdy and don't bend easily, and the floss is tough, which removes any chance of it fraying or breaking.
£7.04
The floss on these picks is made from a very durable food-grade polymer that helps avoid bending or breaking when used. The handle is shaped to make it easier to grip, with the end shaped to work like an interdental brush to clean out more stubborn debris.
These are smaller than many other floss picks, making some people feel they don't clean as well. However, they do come in a huge pack of 250, which offers fantastic value for money, and the bag is resealable, so they won't spill out everywhere.
£5.49
Envirodental's floss picks are made from plastic and wheat straw - an often wasted by-product of producing wheat. The packaging is fully recyclable, and the floss has been designed to glide smoothly between your teeth without breaking or shredding.
While this product uses much less plastic than other floss picks, it still contains 60% plastic which is quite high. But, every little helps and using fewer plastics in any amount can make a big difference.
According to the NHS, the most effective time to floss is before brushing your teeth as it loosens bacteria and debris between the teeth, and brushing after helps to clean these particles away.
It is recommended to floss daily, once a day to remove plaque buildup and prevent gum disease.
Written and researched by Catherine Torrance
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