A once devoted Oral-B Glide floss user named Eda (@edacyu) has given up on the brand after discovering its link to PFAS. In a viral TikTok that’s garnered over 290,000 views as of Friday, she issued a PSA on the product.
Eda writes what the issue with her favorite floss in a text overlay of her video.
“When you find out out the only dental floss you liked and have used for a year straight is made out of teflon,” it reads. In the second portion of her overlay, she explains why this is such a problem: “And [it] has been proven to cause cancer and heart disease.”
Driving home just how disappointed she was to discover this, she films herself un-spooling a bunch of the floss. Shen then drapes the floss over her face and then tosses it in the trash.
@edacyu i literally just bought another 6 pack i hate it here sm #oralb #dentalfloss #teflon #america ♬ Violent crimes x Jerseyclub slowed – Prodbycpkshawn
A Harvard connection
The Massachusetts-based University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health referenced “Oral-B Glide” floss in an article quoting a study on PFAS. One of the school’s adjunct professors of environmental health, Philippe Grandjean, said this chemical was found in dental floss.
As part of the same article Grandjean spoke to, a study posted by Nature.com contained research on PFAS. This research concluded that individuals who regularly used Oral-B glide dental floss had higher levels of PFAS in their bloodstream.
“Flossing with Oral-B Glide, having stain-resistant carpet or furniture, and living in a city served by a PFAS-contaminated water supply were also associated with higher levels of some PFAS,” it read.
The same paper states, “Exposure to the long-chain PFAS…has been linked to kidney and testicular cancer.” Other issues, according to the Nature study are: “decreased semen quality, and ulcerative colitis in adults…thyroid disease…immune response…lowered sex and growth hormones in children.”
Are PFAs a death sentence?
PFAS, which the Daily Dot has written about previously in response to online hullabaloo over toilet paper, is shorthand for polyfluoroalkyl substances. These substances are also known as “forever chemicals.” And there appear to be conflicting reports as to how harmful they are. For instance, Healthline quoted Dr. Katie Pelch of the National Resources Defense Council as stating that ingesting PFAS could be problematic: “Exposure to PFAS through drinking water puts people’s health at risk.”
Understandably then, exposing one’s gums to PFAS, by this logic, could potentially lead to health issues. According to Environmental Health News, PFAS exposure “is linked to reproductive problems.” Also, “birth defects, testicular cancer and a host of other diseases.”
In the same piece, the outlet also mentioned Oral-B Glide floss, measuring the amount of PFAS it contained. “EHN.org tested 39 different brands of floss for PFAS and found evidence of the chemical in one third of the samples. Levels ranged from 11 parts per million, or ppm, to 248,900 ppm,” the site wrote.
It went on to state that Oral-B Glide’s floss contained a 25% PFAS chemical makeup. Additionally, EHN stated there are a slew of other items folks find on store shelves that have the chemical. They’re regularly found in “stain-resistant carpeting and fabrics, cosmetics and firefighting foam.”
The ingestion issue
As noted previously, the biggest concerns with PFAS appear to be related to consumption via drinking water. The NRDC, and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have posted studies about PFAS-contaminated water.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences also broke down how these chemicals are stored in our blood over time. The institute goes on to state, however, that it’s continuing to research “if and how [PFAS] may cause health problems.”
However, The Conversation writes that there isn’t any definitive academic study that can prove PFAS exposure is wholly harmful. “Yes, PFAS might have been picked up in a few new places. But the latest evidence suggests the levels at which we’re exposed are very unlikely to affect our health,” the article reads.
Viewers weigh in
Several TikTok viewers shared their shock or dismay at learning this new information.
“WHY IS EVERYTHING POISON!” one top comment read.
“Ok I’ll change brands once I finish the 12pack I have in my bathroom,” another wrote, to which the creator replied, “i did consider not throwing away my 6 pack but i was like health is wealth??”
One user who claimed to have some knowledge shared an alternative: “From someone who’s been in the dental field for a decade, I love cocofloss and always recommend to my patients.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Oral-B via email and Eda via TikTok comment.
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