To determine the best floss picker, we began by outlining the core features that a floss pick or flosser needed to be considered effective and one of the best dental floss on the market. A top priority was confirming that a product had been approved by the American Dental Association (ADA) and carried that seal on its packaging or the product. After confirming that, we then continued by looking at the quality of the floss, if it was waxed or flavored, and other essential features on the flosser such as a toothpick.
Because of the above, we chose the Plackers Twin-Line Dental Floss Picks as our Top Pick. In addition to having the ADA seal, this dual-line flosser features a heavy-duty thread that’s mint-flavored to not only effectively clean at the gumline but to freshen breath between brushing (we recommend a top electric toothbrush). It also comes with a built-in pick that was designed with safety in mind. With a simple fold, you can easily use it to remove food and debris. And the textured grip makes it easy to securely use the floss pick. It is the among the best mint dental flossers available.
Top 7 Best Floss (Pickers & Floss) Compared
#1 Plackers Twin-Line Dental Floss Picks
Award: Top Pick
WHY WE LIKE IT: A double-strand flosser that’s engineered not to stretch or break for a cleaner mouth. Mint flavor keeps breath fresh between brushing and after meals, while a built-in pick helps remove stubborn food debris.
- Built-in pick to remove stubborn debris
- Double-strand floss with sturdy design
- Mint flavored to freshen breath
- Floss may fray during use
- Unwaxed thread may be uncomfortable for some users
More is better, and that’s why we’ve picked Plackers’ Twin-Line Dental Floss Picks as our Top Pick. The dual floss gives you enhanced strength to effectively clean between and around teeth. The floss is engineered not to stretch or break and is mint flavored to help keep your breath fresh after meals and between brushing (speaking of toothbrushing, check out our Burst sonic review). The travel-friendly resealable pouch holds 75 floss picks so there’s no excuse for not flossing.
The floss picks feature an easy-grip handle so you have full control when managing your oral care. They also feature a toothpick at the far end which can be unfolded when you need to use it. This will give you greater control for removing larger pieces of food or debris that get trapped in tight spaces.
#2 Oral-B Complete Glide Dental Floss Picks Plus Scope Outlast
Award: Honorable Mention
WHY WE LIKE IT: A premium floss pick from a leader in oral care that’s designed to make flossing easier thanks to the Easy Glide floss. Oralb glide is a sturdy floss that won’t shred or drag between teeth, a built-in pick for stubborn debris, and comes with scope outlast long lasting flavor for minty fresh breath. (It does everything for adults that a best kids toothpaste does for kids.) Glide floss picks are a top pick.
- Most versatile
- Scope Outlast mint flavored
- Easy-glide floss for faster use
- Floss may break during use
- May require multiple picks to fully floss mouth
Oral-B is a well-known name in the oral care category and it makes sense that they’re our Honorable Mention. The Complete Glide Dental Floss features their Easy Glide floss which is designed to easily squeeze into tight spaces for a superior clean along the gumline without shredding. On the opposite end, you’ll find a toothpick to help dislodge food from hard to reach areas.
You’ll also like that these floss picks are mint flavored with Scope Outlast for a nice fresh feeling. And best of all, this mint floss option comes as a six-pack, with 75 flossers in each resealable travel-friendly pack. If you’re looking to get a cool new toothbrush along with your fancy floss, check out our sonicare vs quip comparison guide – two of the hottest brushes on the market.
Oral-B also offers a dental floss suited for sensitive gums – the Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Comfort Plus Dental Floss slides up to 50% more easily VS regular floss and gently stimulates gums while preventing gingivitis. Plus, the Glide Pro-Health contains a light coating of natural wax for improved grip. Another type of floss for sensitive gums is Dr Tung’s Smart Floss with its unique, biodegradable dispenser and thick, expandable floss it offers exceptional cleaning.
#3 DenTek Triple Clean Floss Picks
Award: Best for Tongue Cleaning
WHY WE LIKE IT: A streamlined pick with fluoride-coated floss that can double as a tongue cleaner and features a textured pick. This floss is guaranteed not to break, for a deep clean between teeth and at the gumline.
- Guaranteed not to break
- Fluoride-coated floss that doubles as tongue cleaner
- Textured pick to stimulate gum line
- Contains fluoride — may be an issue for some users
- Floss can stretch with use
- Floss can get stuck between teeth
People focused on oral care know that cleaning their tongue is a critical part of keeping their mouths healthy. The DenTek Triple Clean Floss Picks are designed to give you a total oral care product in one item. The sturdy floss is fluoride-coated to support your dental health. The floss is guaranteed not to break even on closely set teeth and is mint flavored to keep breath fresh between brushing.
The floss can also be used as a tongue cleaner to banish bad breath for good. And you’ll like that this flosser also comes with a textured pick that not only dislodges debris but can help to stimulate your gums. A good flosser should be on everyone’s bathroom essentials list.
#4 Gum Soft-Picks
Award: Best for Interdental Cleaning
WHY WE LIKE IT: A solid interdental cleaning pick that gently gets between even closely set teeth to remove debris and plaque. Perfect for people with dental work or braces to achieve a thorough cleaning around individual brackets, fillings or crowns.
- Most travel-friendly
- Safe for use with braces or dental work
- 76 bristles on each interdental pick
- This is not floss
- Slightly pricey
Anyone who’s ever had a dental checkup knows that all it takes is a look around your gum line and between your teeth for your hygienist or dentist to know whether you’ve been thorough with your oral care. Gum’s Soft-Picks are the perfect on the go solution for improving your in-between teeth care. These flexible yet sturdy picks slide comfortably between your teeth — even tight spaces — to remove food and plaque, especially along the gumline. Each pick has 76 bristles for a thorough 360-degree cleaning experience.
Best of all, these interdental picks are ideal for people with dental work. These picks are rated safe by the ADA for use with braces, crowns, fillings or dental implants. Gum’s Soft-Picks ship with pre-filled travel-friendly cases so you can tend to your oral health no matter where you are. Pack them with your best electric shaver when travelling.
#5 GUM Professional Clean Flossers
Award: Best Value
WHY WE LIKE IT: Gum offers 540 flossers for a modest price, while providing essential features like a durable waxed, mint-flavored floss and a pick to remove plaque. But the widened handle, ribbed grip, and wide head make this flosser ideal for people with larger hands or seniors.
- Very easy to use
- Widened handle and ribbed grip
- 540 flossers, 90 flossers per pack
- Floss may fray during use
- Thicker floss not suited for close-set teeth
If you floss, you know that this is a product you buy frequently. So Gum’s Professional Clean Flossers are our Best Value choice because of the large volume you receive for a modest price. This product offers 90 flossers per pack, and in this six-pack, that means you’re getting 540 flossers. But value aside, these flossers are perfect for people who struggle with traditional flossers that are narrow or slippery. They feature a widened head and a wide handle with a ribbed grip for superior control.
You’ll like the waxed, mint-flavored floss that not only fits easily into tight spaces but will keep breath fresh between brushing. And as is common with flossers, this version also comes with a built-in pick. Note that this is a thicker floss, and is better suited for people who have visible gaps.
#6 FAMILIFE Mint Dental Floss Picks
Award: Best for On-the-Go Use
WHY WE LIKE IT: There’s no excuse to not have floss on you with Familife’s floss picks that come in convenient and small travel-friendly cases that can fit into tiny pockets and clutch purses. Standard features like mint-flavored floss and a built-in pick round out the top features.
- Travel-friendly case
- Durable mint-flavored floss
- Built-in pick
- May need multiple flossers to clean mouth
- Thinner floss not ideal for those with gaps
Being away from home isn’t an excuse for neglecting your dental health and oral hygiene. The Familife Mint Dental picks are our solution for oral care on the go because these flossers come in four small travel-friendly cases that can fit in your glove compartment, your purse, laptop bag or even in your pocket.
The flossers feature mint-flavored floss that can fit into tight spaces. And as you would expect, they also come with a built-in pick to help remove stubborn debris and food. You’ll get four cases, each with 60 flossers, for a total of 240 flossers.
#7 Plackers Micro Mint Dental Floss Picks with Travel Case
Award: Best Budget
WHY WE LIKE IT: If you hate when floss breaks while you’re using it, these Plackers floss picks are the solution. Super Toughfloss is designed to withstand the regular strains from flossing while mint flavor keeps breath fresh and a built-in pick helps remove food and debris.
- Most durable
- Mint flavored wax
- Comes with a carrying case
- Floss may stretch or sag
- Pricey at scale
Keeping your mouth healthy is a priority but you might not want to break the bank to do so. Even though all of the options in our round-up have been modestly priced, the Plackers Micro Mint Dental Floss Picks are the most budget-friendly and still come with a travel case, making them a great product to use whether you’re home or on the run.
Key features you would expect such as mint-flavored floss and a built-in pick are also present here. But you’ll like that the Super ToughFloss is designed not to break or fray while you’re flossing.
How We Decided
Flossing is a critical step for routine oral care that tends to be neglected — often because people don’t want to carry rolls of floss with them or spend time winding it around their fingers. So, floss picks or flossers are a smart solution that let you floss on the go without the mess and nuisance of traditional floss. This isn’t a new product, but there are factors that you need to consider when you shop for this item especially if you’re looking for the best dental products on the market.
The most important factor to review is whether or not a product features the ADA seal. Without this, you don’t know whether or not the ADA has reviewed the product and confirmed its efficacy for meeting its guidelines for protecting your dental health. With that out of the way, the next step was to review the thickness of the floss. Some of the flossers in our list were designed with thicker floss that’s better suited for users with gaps in their teeth while thinner floss is best for people with close-set teeth.
All of the flossers on our list come with a toothpick end to help dislodge food and debris from your teeth and gums. But the Plackers (our Top Pick and Best Value selections) feature foldable picks as an enhanced safety feature. Other top features included flavored floss which can help to freshen breath after a meal and reinforced floss which prevents it from snapping, fraying or stretching while you floss your teeth.
Finally, we considered other factors such as ease of use and interdental care. Flossers or floss picks can be small items to use, so features such as textured grip or wider handles can make these easier for people to use if they have larger hands or dexterity issues. And interdental cleaning is one area that many people fail to do properly. This is why we included the Gum Soft-Picks. While they’re not floss, they address a critical need for oral health.
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Floss Buying Guide
The Most Important Features to Consider
- ADA Seal
Of all the features that are going to matter when you head to the store to buy floss, this should be your top priority. The American Dental Association (ADA) reviews dental and oral care products to confirm their efficacy for keeping your mouth healthy and reducing the risk of not just plaque buildup, but serious issues like gingivitis and gum disease. Even beyond floss, if the oral care product you’re considering doesn’t display an ADA seal, keep shopping. Your oral hygiene is too important. - Thickness
There are a variety of thicknesses when choosing floss, and the one you pick is going to be dependent on your mouth. If you have visible gaps, opt for string floss that’s thicker so that it can properly clean between your teeth. Look for floss that’s labeled as “dental tape” or “super” as these usually refer to thick floss. Meanwhile, those with tight teeth or no visible gaps should be fine with a thinner floss that can easily slide between your teeth without causing discomfort. - Wax Coating
Wax coating isn’t a requirement for floss, but people tend to have very strong opinions about whether they prefer their dental floss to be waxed or not. If you’re currently undergoing orthodontic treatments like braces, or find that using unwaxed flossing is more difficult, waxed floss can make the process easier. - Multifilament vs. Single Filament
As the name implies, single filament refers to a single strand floss while multifilament is floss made of multiple strands wound together. This is also a feature that will come down to preference. However, people who find flossing frustrating because of the drag created by the friction between their teeth and the floss, and those with dental work or heavy tartar should opt for single filament floss for removing plaque and food. For the special conditions we outlined, multifilament can break off easily or cause irritation. - Materials
This goes along with the multifilament versus single filament debate. The most common type of dental floss you’ll find at your local pharmacy or big-box retailer is made of nylon and is multifilament. But if you prefer single filament floss, those will be made from plastic or rubber. - Flavored vs. Unflavored
Do you prefer flossing with mint-flavored floss or is this something that doesn’t matter to you? While the flavor won’t impact your oral care routine, this is something that people tend to have strong feelings about. You should be able to find flavored and unflavored dental floss, no matter which side of this debate you support. - Portability
The days where your only option was to unwind a long roll of floss are over. Nowadays, you can choose from a roll of floss or floss picks. While both options are fairly portable, floss picks can be a quicker option since they come with a preset length of floss stretched between the plastic frame, usually feature a pick on the end to help remove stubborn bits, and are available either in travel-friendly cases or pouches.
