Wash your teeth twice a day is essential for oral hygiene, but that’s not enough. In fact, from 30 to 40% of the dental surface it is located in the spaces between the teeth, areas difficult to reach with the toothbrush. For this reason, dentists advise to complete the cleaning with interdental threads or brush wires, more effective tools in removing plaque and food residues.
But what do these devices contain so useful for our daily hygiene? A new test conducted by the magazine ÖKO-TEST He analyzed 54 interdental threads available on the German market (but not only), evaluating composition, materials and presence of potentially harmful chemicals.
The interdental floss is divided mainly into two types: cerato and unknown. The cerato thread is more flowing and therefore indicated for those who are beginners, while the non -cerated thread, slightly more often, requires greater ability because it tends to fray and slips less easily.
The cell wire is the most common, however, the problem is that some waxes contain controversial substances, such as paraffin or microcrystalline wax, oil derivatives that can include traces of mineral aromatic hydrocarbons (Moah), potentially carcinogenic. Safe alternatives are beeze wax or vegetable waxes.
Plastic coatings also deserve attention – specify German experts – some in fact contain synthetic polymers who, during use, can detach and end up in wastewater, with a serious environmental impact.
The investigation then found in some products a substance that is part of the PFAS.
Interdental threads with PFAS
The test detected PTFE in 11 interdental wires. It is a polymer belonging to the Pfas family (perfluoroalchilic and polypluoralchilic substances), known for its extreme persistence in the environment. Some Pfas, such as Ptfe himself, arouse concern because they can accumulate in the body and in the environment, with possible negative effects on liver, immune system and fertility.
The interdental threads in which ÖKO-TEST has found this type of pfas are:
As for the availability in Italy, many of the trademarks mentioned, such as GUM, Dentalux and Curaprox, are actually distributed and can be found in pharmacies, supermarkets and online stores. However, remember that the test has been conducted on products sold in Germany and therefore we do not know if the references or formulations are also identical on the Italian market.
In addition, some of these products, evaluated in the complex, were equally promoted by the test. An example is the Gum Easy Floss.
The test results also show that the products can also differ within the same brand: while some threads contain PTFE, others on the same line not.
The best interdental threads
Overall, among the 54 tested products, 17 interdental threads obtained the highest evaluation and others were considered good.
Among these also the Gum access floss, theElmex not cerato and some products Oral-B: Essential Floss, Superfloss e Pro-Expert.
