Dental Floss

Dental floss is made for the purpose of removing food and dental plaque from teeth. Usually made of thin nylon filaments or a plastic ribbon. It is used by gently inserting the floss between the teeth, close to the gums and scraped along the teeth side to remove food and dental plaque. Dental floss are sold waxed or unwaxed and flavored or unflavored.

History of Dental Floss

There have been evidences found by anthropologists that the early civilisations people used various  devices such as sharp sticks for cleaning between their teeth.

However, the invention of dental floss is accredited to a dentist from New Orleans, named  Levi Spear Parmly, who in 1815, recommended that his patients to clean their teeth with silk floss.

Dental floss was still unavailable commercially until 1882 when the Codman and Shurtleft Company in Massachusetts, started producing and marketing an unwaxed silk dental floss. Then in 1898, Johnson & Johnson received the first patent for dental floss.

During the early 1940s, Dr. Charles C. Bass created the nylon floss. Nylon floss was found to be better than silk because it more durable and has better elasticity. Nylon eventually replaced silk as the material for dental floss. The use of nylon led to the development of waxed floss and eventually the development of dental tape.

Since then, many different types of dental floss have been created to suit the different needs of individuals. Present day floss has also many other features to make flossing easier. Accessories such plastic wands, floss picks, ergonomic flosser and swiveling floss heads are created to help make flossing done correctly and easily.

Flossing together with toothbrushing can prevent dental cavities and gum disease. Regular flossing is said to be linked to the reduction of occurrence of heart disease. Thus today, flossing is a key part of one’s oral hygiene routine.