Öko-Test takes a close look at dental floss - one product fails
Created: 09/26/2022, 10:10 am
By: Stella Henrich
Öko-Test tested 43 different dental floss.
14 of them are rated “very good” and another 14 are rated “good”.
Surprisingly, hardly any are made of silk.
Munich - Many a contemporary has teeth - worse than Count Dracula, actor Jürgen Vogel and pop star Madonna together.
Whether tooth gaps, yellowish discolored teeth or jagged incisors - they are considered blemishes.
Stars and starlets have therefore always had their teeth straightened.
Because nothing seems more fascinating than a radiant smile on your lips, with a view of beautifully clean teeth.
And it seems that people in this country are taking better care of their teeth.
Apparently, word has gotten around that thorough oral hygiene is not only good for the teeth, but also for the entire body.
The recommendation from dentists that even children in kindergarten should brush their little teeth after every meal and that adults should use the brush at least two to three times a day is having an effect.
The toothbrush as a compulsory program for cleaning is far from enough for the doctors.
The spaces between the teeth cannot be cleaned well with a brush.
So many people swear by dental floss.
Just 18 meters of dental floss are bought per capita and year.
Everyone should thread 180 meters of it through the spaces between the teeth in order to remove bacterial deposits and leftovers from places where the brush cannot reach.
Professor Roland Frankenberger, President of the German Society for Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine (DGZMK) at the n-tv broadcaster
Dental floss put to the test: wafer-thin coatings made from beeswax
Of the 43 dental floss that Öko-Test examined, 14 received the grade “very good”.
In the case of the other products, the testers primarily criticized coatings with microcrystalline wax, i.e. petroleum-based paraffins, or PEG compounds.
In addition, consumer advocates criticize the plastic compounds contained.
What was particularly annoying during the examination were two dental flosses that contained an organic halogen compound with allergy potential.
Öko-Test tested 43 dental floss.
14 passed the test with "very good".
© Christoph Hähnel/imago
In this test, the difference between a "very good" and a badly rated dental floss is wafer-thin - more precisely: "
as thin as a coating
", according to
Öko-Test
.
All "very good" waxed products are coated with natural materials such as beeswax or vegetable wax, for example from the candelilla bush, which protects its stems and leaves from drying out.
Many manufacturers, on the other hand, use microcrystalline wax, i.e. petroleum-based paraffins, or PEG compounds for the smoothing layer.
The testers each deduct a grade for this.
Two products that mess up the oral flora with the active ingredient chlorhexidine score two grades lower.
Superclean dental floss, waxed by Happybrush, therefore completely fails the test.
Dontodent antibacterial dental floss just barely achieved the test grade "sufficient".
According to Öko-Test, chlorhexidine is in
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Dontodent dental floss antibacterial, waxed, contains fluoride from dm
(overall rating "
sufficient
")
Superclean dental floss, waxed by Happybrush
(grade: "
poor
")
Dental floss in the test: Fluorinated products have no effect on the grade
Fluoride was added to 15 of the dental flosses tested.
The mineral strengthens the tooth enamel and has been proven to prevent tooth decay, according to the Öko-Test verdict.
However, according to DGZMK President Roland Frankenberger, it has not been proven whether fluorinated dental floss offers even more effective protection.
Therefore, consumer advocates do not devalue products without fluoride additives.
These eight products scored "very good" in Öko-Test:
dental floss product | Evaluation by Öko-Test |
Dontodent dental tape extra smooth from DM | very good |
Oral-B Pro-Expert Premium Dental Floss | very good |
Outdoor Freakz natural dental floss plastic-free and vegan, cardboard | very good |
Today Dent dental floss, waxed, mint flavor from Rewe | very good |
Diadent dental floss unwaxed by Netto | very good |
Natuvell Dental Floss Classic, unwaxed | very good |
Vömel dental floss | very good |
Yaweco dental floss | very good |
Incidentally, only two products in the test consist of the eponymous natural substance.
Most manufacturers use plastic threads made of nylon, PTFE (Teflon), polyester, polyamide or polyurethane.
Three suppliers rely on fibers made from bio-plastics.
Another point of criticism: synthetic polymers.
They are included in six dental flosses.
These plastic connections could rub off when using the dental floss.
"They then end up in the wastewater, are often too small for the filters in sewage treatment plants, and thus end up in the environment," complains Öko-Test.
These things are bad for your teeth
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