Does your dental floss contain toxic chemicals?

Budget 2019 : Using Oral-B Glide dental floss could contribute to elevated levels of toxic chemicals that can lead to health problems, especially in women, including kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol, low birth weight, among others, says a study led by US-based Silent Spring Institute.

In the study, the team measured the presence of 11 different PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) -- water- and grease-proof substances -- in blood samples of 178 middle-aged women.

The findings, appearing in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology (JESEE), showed that women who flossed with Oral-B Glide tended to have higher levels of a type of PFAS called PFHxS (perfluorohexanesulfonic acid) in their body compared with those who did not.

"This is the first study to show that using dental floss containing PFAS is associated with a higher body burden of these toxic chemicals," said lead author Katie Boronow, a scientist at the institute.

"The good news is, based on our findings, consumers can choose flosses that don't contain PFAS," she added. Interim Budget 2019