What Is Whitening Floss?

Learn how whitening floss helps brighten spaces between teeth.

Are you concerned about the color of your teeth? You’re not alone. Having white teeth is practically a national obsession. While you don’t want to go so white it looks unnatural, brightening stained teeth a shade or two will help you look younger and feel more attractive when you smile.

In the battle against stained and yellow teeth, whitening treatments are the most effective weapon. While over-the-counter products can help, the most dramatic results come from professional teeth whitening in a dentist’s office.

No matter which way you whiten, you will need to maintain your newly brightened teeth using oral hygiene products specifically formulated to support white teeth. You’re probably familiar with whitening toothpaste and you may even have a tube at home already. But have you heard of whitening floss?

What is Whitening Floss?

Just like regular floss, whitening floss helps to remove bits of food and bacteria from spaces between teeth. However, whitening floss also does a little something extra: it helps improve the color of spaces between teeth.

You might wonder why this even matters. After all, who is going to see the spaces between your teeth?

The fact of the matter is, stains often start between teeth and spread outward onto tooth surfaces. So, using whitening floss can definitely make a difference in fighting stains that you may not be able to handle with brushing alone.

How Does Whitening Floss Work?

Whitening products can work in one of two ways: by bleaching the tooth with peroxide or a similar compound, or by removing surface stains. Due to concerns about putting peroxide in contact with sensitive gum tissue, peroxide is not used in whitening floss. Instead, most whitening floss works by using baking soda or other ingredients to remove the protein pellicle from teeth. This superficial layer of protein is very prone to staining. Some whitening flosses are also more abrasive than regular floss, which further helps scrub away stains.

What If My Teeth Still Aren’t White Enough?

If you are still not satisfied with the color of your teeth after using whitening floss and other at-home products, it’s time to visit your cosmetic dentist. Your dentist can evaluate the level of staining on your teeth and advise you of your options. Professional teeth whitening can help, but if your teeth are severely stained you may want to consider covering the stains with veneers instead.