Using the right floss is a crucial part of your daily dental routine—but one of the most trusted brands might not be all it’s cracked up to be. TikToker @thetoothfairyispretty, who is also a dental hygienist, has built a following on the platform by providing dental advice to the masses. She previously went viral for telling viewers how they are brushing their teeth “wrong,” but this time around, she’s urging people to avoid one dental floss brand in particular.
What floss does she not recommend?
“Stop using Glide floss!” she exclaimed. “It is so frustrating that so many people are ‘Glide this and Glide that, and Glide works.’” She notes that while there are some cases when using Glide is unavoidable, such as when a very thin floss is needed, it’s usually better to use a thicker floss “that can really wrap around a tooth.”
The TikToker then shared how she had a patient who had a buildup of tartar on the gums, which she blamed on the use of Glide as opposed to a thicker type of dental floss.
“But Glide is really bad,” she concluded. “It has a ton of forever chemicals in it that are entering your bloodstream when you’re flossing. It basically just glides over literally everything—your tooth, the tartar, the plaque, the bacteria, everything. Stop using Glide.”
Viewers respond
Many commenters were confused by TikToker’s warning. “My hygienist always uses Glide floss,” one wrote. “My dentist literally gives me a sample Glide floss in take away bag every time I have a cleaning,” another revealed. Meanwhile, a third commenter asked the question directly, “Why do the dentists themselves only give us GLIDE floss?”
Other commenters shared their own experience with Glide floss, with one user writing: “Last time I used Glide, I regretted it.”
The clip amassed 567,700 views. @thetoothfairyispretty didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment.
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Does Glide floss contain forever chemicals?
A 2019 study by the Silent Spring Institute found that flossing with Glide dental floss led to an elevated level of PFAS (forever chemicals) in the body. In the study, women who flossed with Glide were more likely to have PFHxS, a type of PFAS, in the body.
The study also tested three Glide products to see if they contained fluorine, a typical marker of PFAS. All three tested positive for fluorine, which, the study claims, reinforces previous reports that Glide is made using Teflon-like compounds.
As pointed out by the study, human exposure to PFAS has been linked to a number of health issues, including various cancers, thyroid disease, low birth weight, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, and immune system issues.
Procter & Gamble didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via email.
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