New study says one type of floss could contain toxic chemicals

Dentists say we should floss every day, but a new study looked at whether one type of floss could be putting potentially toxic chemicals into your body.

The study found from the Silent Spring Institute and the University of California Berkeley found Oral B Glide Floss was linked to women with higher levels of PFAs. In May, Channel 11 told you these PFAs can be found in burger wrappers and in stain-resistant carpeting, and may be linked to cancer.

We brought the study to Kelly Williams, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh Dental School. She said she still sticks by the message that flossing is important, but if you are worried about PFAs, you could consider switching to a different floss.

"If you're looking to reduce your exposure, this is one of many ways you could do so," Williams said.

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Williams said the study made no concrete link to the glide floss and cancer-causing chemicals. She said at this time, dentists are still standing strongly behind the benefits of dental floss for overall mouth health. She says don't be afraid to bring any concerns to the dental office.

"The take home message is go to your oral health care team and consult those people and get their professional opinions," Williams said.

Williams says there are plenty of other options for flossing if you want to avoid the glide floss. She even showed us a few options for people who have trouble reaching their back teeth. Channel 11 asked her what she would do if glide floss was the only option in her cupboard.

"If I had to choose between no floss and using that, I would definitely floss at this point," Williams said.

The study was not able to isolate floss as the sole reason for the PFAs in the test subjects. More research had to be done to figure out how much PFA contamination actually came from the floss.

Cox Media Group