Dentists and Dental Floss - a Brief History

Proper use of dental floss has long been the mantra of most dentists – “You don’t have to floss all of your teeth, just the ones you want to keep” is often posted on signs and plaques in dental offices around the country. But just where did the idea of putting string between your teeth to better clean them come from? Is this some sort of torture devised in ancient times, or is there a real history surrounding this simple, yet highly effective, dental tool.

Interdental cleaning, or cleaning between the teeth, is not a new concept brought to light by today’s dentist. People in ancient times were believed to use sticks and other pointed objects to clean between their teeth. It wasn’t until the early 1800s, however, that floss, silk thread at that time, was introduced as an option to clean between the teeth.

The concept is believed to be form the brain of a dentist in New Orleans in 1815. He told his patients to place a thin silk thread between their teeth. Over the next 70 years, this idea spread like wildfire between dentists in America, and by 1882, a company had started marketing the idea.

Codman and Shurleft Company started marketing unwaxed silk dental floss from their base of operations in Randolph, Massachusetts. This quickly made the product a household name, and by 1896 Johnson & Johnson began marketing the first true dental floss. They patented their dental floss in 1898, and this floss used the same silk material surgeons used for stitching up wounds.

Because of the cost prohibitive nature of silk and the fact that it has a tendency to shred, it was not the ideal material for dental floss. However, it held the market until the 1940s, when nylon entered the scene. Because nylon was less prone to shredding, it worked much better than silk. It also would accept the wax commonly found on dental flosses today, and by the 1950s the long “tape” of waxed nylon dental floss that we commonly use today was being mass marketed and sold across the country to people and dentists who put oral health as their top priority.

While the traditional form of dental floss we know and love today was introduced in the 1950s, small innovations have continued to improve the use of dental floss throughout the world. For instance, today we can buy dental floss in a long tape format, or we can buy dental picks that have floss stretched between two plastic holders, making it much easier to grab, floss, and go. Flosses of different textures help those with varying oral needs find the right floss, such as Super Floss to work around braces or appliances, or soft floss for those with sensitive gums. Dentists even advocate flavored flosses that can add a bit of minty freshness to your mouth. Regardless of the type of floss you choose, the point is that you need to be flossing your teeth, or, as your dentist will tell you, at least those teeth you want to keep in your mouth.