In related news, 33% of dental floss tested in 2022 was found to have contained levels ranging from 11 parts per million to 248,900 ppm.
If there's evidence stronger than a dentist's opinion, I'd like to hear it, because I preferred the water pick...
Interdental brushes are more effective in removing plaque than floss. [0,1]
Water picks are good for reducing gingival inflammation. [1]
PTFE is not a PFAS in the sense used in health research. Teflon is a hard, waxy plastic which is among the most inert, biologically inactive substances known. It is used everywhere from medical implants, Gore-Tex, and other clothing, teflon tape used to seal plumbing joints in your house, and many other other common uses. There is no evidence (that is, evidence from scientifically solid studies-- there are a couple poor ones), that any dental floss raises physiologic levels of PFAS.
The reason you know this reporting is bullshit is that nobody is proposing that we outlaw teflon tape in drinking water plumbing, even though it's made from the same plastic as the best floss products.
I’m not 100% convinced this is that problematic though. You floss and then rinse/spit. And of course this would only need to get rid of the quantity actually shed from the strand. It would be interesting to see the load actually consumed on average, but my gut says it’s probably irrelevant.
The real issue is the unchecked spread into our environment, causing us (and everything else) to unavoidably ingest it regularly and without limit.
Edit: To be clear, my general position on PFAS is “broadly enact bans on its use out of sheer caution” due how rapidly it’s turning up in the environment. This would be no exception. I’m just saying I’d be surprised if its presence in dental floss actually contributed meaningfully to your daily load given the amount you consume incidentally due to widespread environmental contamination.
As a side note, definitely switch to silk floss - completely natural stuff + wax. I prefer the Radius brand since they were the first.