The evidence regarding dental floss is contested; while studies frequently show that interdental brushes outperform floss in reducing plaque and periodontal inflammation, other research indicates that flossing successfully reduces plaque and gingivitis and remains an important component of interdental care.
The evidence we hold leans evenly split
official record 3x · fact-check 2x · hedged 1x · crowd & reference 1x
The retrieved papers present mixed findings: some studies (such as [0] and [10]) conclude that interdental brushes are significantly more effective than floss at reducing plaque and inflammatory markers associated with periodontal disease, while others (such as [2], [7], and [8]) demonstrate that dental floss successfully reduces plaque, gingivitis, and bleeding when properly integrated into daily oral hygiene. Because high-quality evidence supports both the limitations of floss relative to brushes and its proven ability to reduce interproximal plaque and improve periodontal health, the verdict is CONTESTED.