Safer Kind of Floss: Making the Switch
Most floss is made from nylon, a petroleum-based product coated with Teflon synthetic resin – similar to nonstick cookware material – called PTFE (a.k.a. polytetrafluoroethylene). Both are known to be carcinogenic and attribute to cancer, arthritis, altered immune responses, and thyroid/hormone imbalances.
When I first heard this, I thought “how can floss cause this many issues” … here’s the short version; floss with PTFE leaves chemical traces in the mouth that are inevitably swallowed or absorbed into the bloodstream through the thin mucosa lining of the mouth. This raises concern for those of us who diligently floss once or twice a day, year-round.
