Charcoal Bamboo and Corn Floss are some of your Best Options!

Bamboo Charcoal Dental Floss

           Bamboo charcoal dental floss is made from bamboo charcoal fibre and coated with candelilla wax. The floss is all-natural, vegan and fully plastic-free, including packaging.

Bamboo is a wonderful material to use for this purpose, due to its antibacterial qualities. It is also wonderfully sustainable, especially when compared to another popular option for biodegradable dental floss – silk. Bamboo grows incredibly quickly, even in nutrient-poor soil, requires little watering and no pesticides. As it is growing, it also helps filter CO2 out of our atmosphere – and is even more effective at doing so than a typical hardwood tree.

 

 

                 Aside from the antibacterial properties of bamboo, charcoal is also a wonderful addition to the mix. It is antibacterial and antifungal as well, which helps the floss remove any odour, detoxify the gums and deodorize the mouth very effectively. Like charcoal toothpaste, charcoal dental floss also has teeth-whitening properties. It binds to toxins and odours and helps remove any surface stains on your teeth. Charcoal is traditionally produced from burning wood but when made from bamboo, it has a lowered environmental impact – as per the many reasons we mentioned above.

Bamboo charcoal dental floss is also slightly thicker than plastic options, which might make it slightly harder to use if you’re having trouble manoeuvring the floss between your teeth but has a great unexpected benefit – you are much less likely to cut your gums with the floss, which helps avoid bleeding.

 

                Needless to say, bamboo charcoal dental floss comes with many benefits a sustainable alternative lover is sure to appreciate. But how does corn dental floss compare – will that be a better option for you?

Corn dental floss

Corn dental floss is made from PLA – a material which is classified as plastic, but comes from plants (in this case, corn), biodegrades quickly and can be composted. The floss is coated with candelilla wax similarly to the bamboo charcoal option, which means that it’s fully natural and 100% vegan.

How is corn converted into PLA? This involves the creation of a polymer (material with plastic-like properties) from the starch in corn. Contrary to normal plastic, no crude oil or other fossil fuels are used, which also helps avoid the release of many toxic chemicals into the environment.

 

Corn dental floss is classified as compostable but it likely won’t decompose in your backyard compost, as it needs specific conditions – those of an industrial composting facility – to decompose properly and quickly. These facilities are designed to quickly compost large amounts of waste, by providing the best possible circumstances – increased heat, humidity, access to plenty of oxygen and the correct microorganisms.

If the black colour of charcoal bamboo dental floss puts you off (perhaps you prefer something that doesn’t contrast with the plague between your teeth so much, making it less visible – that is completely understandable). The experience of flossing with this option is also closer to that of using your conventional dental floss made from plastic, as PLA is very similar to it in texture.

 

 

How to use Eco Dental Floss

                 Both corn dental floss and charcoal bamboo dental floss are used exactly the same way that you would use plastic dental floss – pull about 30cm of floss out of the jar, wrap the floss around your thumb to control its position and floss slowly in the gaps between your teeth, reaching the gum on each. Repeat this every day, for best results and healthy teeth and gums.