You know you need to floss your teeth to maintain your dental health, but did you know that the floss you are using could be doing harm as well as good? While that thin piece of thread you slide between your teeth may leave you feeling squeaky clean, normal dental floss varieties often contain ingredients that can negatively impact both your health, and the environment.

Though flossing is such an important part of your daily routine, we want to help you find a better way to do it. Here are more details on what dental floss is made from, how it impacts you and the environment, and what you can do about it.

Should I Floss?

Yes! Seriously, flossing is super good for you. Flossing helps to remove plaque, food residue, and bacterial buildup from between your teeth and gums, which can contribute to tooth and gum disease. While brushing your teeth also removes a certain amount of plaque and bacteria, brushing alone cannot reach the tiny crevices between your teeth. Floss is able to reach where a toothbrush cannot, and is easy to maneuver even into the tightest corners of your mouth.

Not flossing leaves you vulnerable to the effects of plaque as it builds up over time. Plaque and bacteria can cause tooth decay, gum disease, and may even affect your mental and overall health. Leftover food particles can also cause the teeth to look more stained, no matter how white they may actually be. Individuals that do not floss typically will spend more time at the dentist, and more money on dental procedures than those that do floss. If flossing once a day can save time, money, and a trip to the dentist, sign us up!

Normal Dental Floss

We get it, you don’t usually think about your dental floss, and why would you? For most of us, dental floss is something that sits on the shelf only to be thought about once a day or when we run out. We aren’t suggesting you take an extra hour out of your day to think about the meaning of dental floss, but you may want to take a couple of minutes to investigate what normal dental floss is made of.

• Nylon:Most normal dental floss is made from nylon, a plastic commonly used in the manufacturing of consumer goods. Nylon is an incredibly low-friction plastic, making it perfect for applications like dental floss. The low-friction qualities of nylon help it to slide easily between teeth without causing the user discomfort. Nylon is also exceedingly strong, and can withstand plenty of strain and wear without breaking or fraying. Combined slip and durability make nylon an understandable choice for dental floss manufacturers. While some nylons can be recycled, recycling dental floss is not an option. Nylon dental floss is non-recyclable, and can take decades to begin to break down in landfills.
• Teflon:Teflon is another common material used in the manufacturing of dental floss, and one that should raise some alarm. Teflon contains PFAs, a class of chemicals used to make consumer goods slippery. PFAs are a hormone disruptor, and have been linked to a number of health issues and risks including: low birth weight, neurotoxicity, Alzheimer's disease, compromised immune health, certain cancers, and thyroid hormone disruption. PFAs can be absorbed by the body through prolonged exposure and continued use. By using products like dental floss that contain substances like Teflon, you may be putting yourself and your health at risk.
• Petroleum:Petroleum is the most common synthetic wax coating used for normal dental floss, and is commonly used in other household/personal goods. Despite its frequent appearance in consumer goods, petroleum is considered a carcinogen and an endocrine disruptor, and can cause serious health problems in individuals with prolonged exposure.
• 1,4 Dioxane:As mentioned, the coating on most normal dental floss is made from petroleum, which contains a compound called 1,4-dioxane. 1,4-dioxane is a carcinogen proven to cause cancer in humans and animals when regularly exposed to the compound.
• Packaging: Though not a specific ingredient, it is important to note the packaging most often associated with dental floss. Most dental floss packaging is made from hard plastic. Some states and cities accept dental floss packaging for recycling, but the majority do not, and those hard plastic boxes will end up spending potentially hundreds of years in the landfill.

Floss without the Risk

You probably never thought you would be worrying about the risks of flossing, but here you are! With dangerous chemicals hidden in the products we use each and every day, it can start to feel like there is no escape from the risks associated with using normal items. You shouldn’t have to choose between non-recyclable and healthy, and you certainly shouldn’t have to choose between gum disease and ingesting a carcinogen.

Wowe Lifestyle is dedicated to creating healthy alternatives to everyday health, home, and beauty products, which is why we created a natural dental floss! Dental floss without PFAs is hard to come by, a problem we felt seriously needed solving. A product you put in your mouth every day shouldn’t come with a risk, especially one so few individuals even know they are taking.

Wowe’s Natural Biodegradable Silk Dental Floss is the answer to all of your dental floss woes! This eco-friendly dental floss is made without any of the nasty ingredients or chemicals found in normal dental floss, but still has all the qualities you look for in an excellent floss.

• Silk:Silk is a completely natural fiber produced by certain larvae. Usable in the making of textiles and dental floss, silk is a strong and durable fiber with its own natural slip. Like nylon, silk can easily slip between the teeth, and withstand the same amount of wear and tear without breaking. Flossing with silk is just as easy as flossing with nylon, but since silk is 100% natural and biodegradable, it doesn’t come with any of the nasty side effects. This floss will biodegrade, not sit in a landfill.
• Candelilla Wax:While most normal dental floss is waxed using synthetic chemicals and compounds like Teflon, the Natural Biodegradable Silk Dental Floss from Wowe is waxed with natural candelilla wax. Candelilla wax is derived from the Candelilla shrub, a plant native to northern Mexico. Candelilla is a wax frequently used as a vegan alternative to beeswax, and provides the perfect slippery coating for Wowe’s Natural Biodegradable Silk Dental Floss.
• Packaging: Unlike normal dental floss, usually packaged in hard plastic, Wowe natural dental floss comes in eco-friendly packaging. Free from plastic, your new favorite dental floss arrives in a recyclable container, and includes a refillable stainless steel metal cutting container. Rather than tossing a plastic box every time you run out of dental floss, simply buy a refill and keep on reusing your stainless steel cutting container.

Made from 100% natural ingredients without any of the harmful chemicals, Wowe Natural Biodegradable Silk Dental Floss is a serious home run! Why run the risk of negatively impacting your body and the environment when incredible eco-friendly products are available?

Oral Hygiene Product Overhaul

Now that you have discovered what exists within your dental floss, you might be finding out more about the rest of your favorite oral hygiene products. Lucky for you, Wowe makes more than dental floss! Wowe is the proud creator of lots of eco-friendly and health conscious products, designed thoughtfully with the needs of your family and the earth in mind. Here are some more awesome eco-friendly alternatives for oral hygiene products you use every day.

• Toothbrushes: Toothbrushes are one of the most commonly disposed of health and beauty items, and over 1 billion plastic toothbrushes are thrown away every year. The plastics used to manufacture toothbrushes are non-recyclable, and will spend hundreds of years sitting in landfills waiting to decompose. Rather than contribute more plastic waste, consider switching to an eco-friendly toothbrush.

Wowe Lifestyle offers Eco-Friendly and Natural Bamboo toothbrushes, made to be biodegradable, recyclable, and earth friendly. These eco-friendly toothbrushes come in sizes for kids and adults, and even come in a charcoal infused variety to help you keep your teeth shining white and bright.

• Tongue Scraper: Most tongue scrapers are made from hard plastics and rubbers, which cannot be recycled. Rather than buying disposable tongue scrapers, buy a reusable Stainless Steel Metal Tongue Cleaner from Wowe. Tongue cleaners help to remove excess bacteria from the tongue more effectively than brushing alone, especially helpful in the prevention of bad breath. Made from stainless steel or pure copper, Wowe’s tongue cleaners can be reused for years without bacteria buildup, corrosion, or rusting.

Interested in learning more about what is in your favorite everyday items? Visit Wowe Lifestyle for more information on the products you use, how they are made, and how they impact you and the environment.