Pros and Cons of Flavored Floss: Is Flavored Floss a Good Idea?

While flossing is a necessary part of keeping your dental hygiene healthy, you’ll find that there are several different types of floss. One of those is flavored floss. You may be on the fence when it comes to using flavored floss. Here are the positives and negatives that you need to know.

What Is Flavored Floss?

Flavored floss is s type of floss that uses wax flavoring in its manufacture. It’s as effective as other types of floss in cleaning out the debris and plaque from between your teeth.

The main difference is that it uses some type of wax that has a flavor. There are several different flavors from which to choose. Some are standard flavors like mint, strawberry, and grape. Others are more bizarre. You’ll find chocolate-flavored floss and bacon-flavored floss among them.

Who Is It For?

Most adults don’t need special flavors to keep up with their dental hygiene. That’s why flavored floss is primarily geared towards children and teenagers. Flossing can be a difficult habit to pick up.

To encourage flossing, certain manufacturers make their floss taste good. They believe it will make children and teenagers more eager to floss since their taste buds will have a positive reaction to the flavor.

The flavors that are bizarre, like bacon, are geared towards adults that want to feel special or unique about their floss. They like to stand out from the crowd or boast about the odd things that they do.

Is It Organic?

In most cases, flavored floss is not organic. They usually use artificial flavors in the wax to give it the flavor.

Other types of floss may use certain natural ingredients in the making of their floss that gives it a flavor.

In most cases, however, the flavor is artificial. This can be problematic since it adds chemicals to your floss.

Pros of Flavored Floss

There are a few positives of flavored floss, however, especially organic or natural floss that also comes with a flavor. The main benefit is that it can encourage younger children and teenagers to keep up with their flossing.

If they enjoy the taste of it, then they’re more likely to use it. It’s similar to using flavored toothpaste for children. Because they enjoy the taste of the paste, they’re more likely to brush their teeth.

Another benefit is the sheer number of flavors. While you always have standards, you’re also able to find rare and unique flavors. That can make flossing fun even for adults.

While flavored floss is sometimes more expensive than non-flavored floss, it’s still cheap overall.

Cons of Flavored Floss

The primary concern behind flavored floss is the artificial flavor. If the floss isn’t organic, then there’s a good chance that the wax they’re using could carry harmful chemicals. Those chemicals can then leech into your gums. It could increase the risk of developing cancer or other serious ailments.

Another problem with flavored floss is that it can also keep kids from continuing to floss when they’re older. By encouraging children and teenagers to floss their teeth with flavors, there’s nothing to reinforce the habit when they’re older. Kids may end up being more likely to give up on flossing their teeth if they used flavored floss when they were young and developing their brushing habits.

Would You Buy It For Your Kids?

Unless the floss is organic and doesn’t contain artificial flavors, you shouldn’t let your children use it. There are other organic ways that are a lot safer and healthier for them.

Using something with a milder flavor can also help them stick with their losing habit later in life.