Reach Dental Floss, Waxed & Mint - Multiple sizes
Lower concern, but brand lacks PFAS transparency on floss.
Dental floss typically uses nylon and wax, materials not inherently associated with PFAS. Reach provides no public PFAS disclosure, leaving uncertainty about wax treatment composition.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
Nylon floss core with wax coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Reach Dental Floss, Waxed & Mint is made of, ingredients and materials
Reach waxed floss uses a nylon monofilament core coated with wax (typically paraffin or beeswax blend) and mint flavoring. Nylon does not leach harmful chemicals under normal mouth conditions because it is not exposed to heat, prolonged moisture, or acidic/alkaline stress that would degrade the polymer. The wax coating serves as a lubricant and does not present ingestion risk in the small quantities used during flossing.
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 (mint)
Mint flavoring is generally recognized as safe and rarely triggers allergic reactions, but individuals with sensitive gums, mouth ulcers, or fragrance sensitivities may experience irritation or contact dermatitis during flossing.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
Wax ingestion (chronic low-dose)
Paraffin wax used in floss coatings is food-grade and non-toxic; small amounts swallowed during flossing are harmless and pass through the digestive tract unabsorbed. No recalls or adverse reports exist for this exposure route.
Nylon microfiber shedding
Nylon monofilament is durable and does not shed microplastics during normal use; the floss is designed to break cleanly when pulled, not fragment. No documented risk from ingestion of floss fibers if swallowed whole.
Heavy metals
Reach does not disclose specific dye or pigment chemistry for their floss. No recalls or testing reports have identified lead, cadmium, or other heavy metals in mint-flavored or waxed floss products from this brand or category.
Source, FDA ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Reach (Johnson & Johnson oral care division) does not publicly disclose PFAS content or absence in their floss products, which is a transparency gap relative to category leaders. The brand has not faced recalls or documented safety violations for their floss line. J&J has broader commitments to reducing PFAS in personal care but has not extended explicit public statements to oral care products, leaving consumers without clear assurance.
How it compares in its category
Waxed nylon floss is the most common floss type; alternatives like unwaxed nylon, Teflon-type coating (Teflon), or silk each carry trade-offs in terms of texture, durability, and ease of use. Teflon-type coating floss carries theoretical Teflon-family coating concerns (though Teflon-type coating does not break down in the mouth); silk is biodegradable but less durable. Reach's waxed nylon sits in the mainstream middle ground with no documented material safety advantage or disadvantage over Oral-B or store-brand equivalents.
If you buy it
Use as directed; there are no heat, storage, or special care requirements for dental floss. Replace the spool when floss becomes frayed or difficult to handle. Mint flavoring is a common food additive but skip if you have fragrance sensitivities or mouth ulcers. Do not heat, microwave, or store in extreme temperatures, though normal bathroom moisture poses no risk.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 75% 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.
Better-graded alternatives in Dental Floss
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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.