Reach Gentle Gum Care Floss
Lower concern. Floss is rarely PFAS-treated; verify materials directly.
Dental floss typically contains no deliberate PFAS, though brand discloses nothing. No public lab data available. Contact Gently for full ingredient confirmation if PFAS-sensitive.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
nylon dental floss, likely uncoated or waxed
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
You may also be interested in
Top-graded picks in the categories readers replace first, every one scored on the same rubric.
- polypropylene filter housing, carbon/sediment cartridge
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial growth in spent cartridges
3 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Aquasure
Premier Series 75 GPD Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
- RO membrane, carbon filters, stainless steel housing
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Bacterial and microbial growth in housing and filters
4 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
Avocado
Vegan Mattress
- organic cotton, natural latex, coconut coir, recycled steel coils
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
What Reach Gentle Gum Care Floss is made of, ingredients and materials
Reach Gentle Gum Care Floss is nylon-based dental floss, likely with a light wax coating (typically beeswax or synthetic wax) to aid gliding between teeth. Nylon is a thermoplastic polymer with a well-established safety record in oral care; it does not leach known endocrine disruptors under normal mouth-temperature use. Wax coatings are inert and do not pose ingestion risk given the tiny quantities involved and the normal spit-and-rinse usage pattern.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Fragrance allergens (if flavored variant)
Reach produces both unflavored and flavored versions. If this is a mint or cinnamon variant, fragrance allergens are possible for sensitized users; check packaging for 'flavor' or 'taste' labels. Unflavored versions carry no known fragrance risk.
Microplastics
Nylon fibers can shed microscopic fragments during use; however, the amount swallowed per flossing event is negligible (estimated micrograms), and nylon does not hydrolyze in stomach acid. Long-term systemic effects are not established, and regulatory agencies do not classify dental floss as a microplastic hazard source.
Source, EPA ↗Bacterial growth or biofilm on floss if stored wet
Nylon itself is non-absorbent and does not support mold; however, if floss is stored in a wet container or humid environment without drying, bacterial growth on the spool or container is possible. This is a storage and hygiene issue, not a material defect.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
Formaldehyde / VOCs
No public documentation of formaldehyde-based resin systems in commercial dental floss wax coatings; beeswax and polyethylene wax are the standard, neither of which release formaldehyde.
Source, ATSDR ↗Dye or colorant toxicity
Standard nylon floss is typically white or clear; if this variant is colored, colorants are FDA-approved food additives or cosmetic dyes at trace levels. No azo dyes or heavy-metal pigments are standard in this category.
How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Reach is owned by Johnson & Johnson, a company with established product safety disclosure practices but no specific publicly available toxicology transparency for this floss formulation. No recalls, contamination incidents, or regulatory warnings are on record for this product line. The brand does not advertise PFAS-free status, which is consistent with the low baseline concern for dental floss as a category.
How it compares in its category
Nylon dental floss is the standard category material and carries a stronger safety profile than older silk alternatives, which can trap bacteria if not stored dry. This product sits in the mainstream middle ground, simple, unadorned nylon with wax is chemically simpler than flavored, colored, or charcoal-enhanced floss variants that may carry unnecessary additives. Unwaxed nylon versions exist but offer no safety advantage, only user convenience trade-offs.
If you buy it
Use and discard after each session; do not reuse or soak floss. Store in a cool, dry place to prevent mold growth in humid bathrooms. Nylon does not degrade from normal oral saliva or water exposure, so shelf life is effectively indefinite if kept dry. If gums bleed excessively or show inflammation, switch to gentler technique rather than product, as floss itself is not the typical irritant.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 72% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Reach has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to Reach Gentle Gum Care Floss?
- Plant-based waxed fiber floss
- A third party reports verifying it as PFAS-free
- Fragrance allergens and sensitizers
- nylon monofilament
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Microplastics
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Coconut fiber-based floss
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Microbial growth in natural fiber storage
More dental floss grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.