Reach Dental Waxed Floss
Nylon floss unlikely PFAS concern, but wax source unspecified.
Reach waxed floss is primarily nylon and wax. Standard dental floss formulations rarely use PFAS, though brand does not publicly disclose coating details or test results.
We flunk more products than we pass. This one earned its grade. How we grade
Material
Nylon floss with wax coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Reach Dental Waxed Floss is made of, ingredients and materials
Reach Dental Waxed Floss is nylon monofilament coated with wax, a standard dental floss construction. Nylon is inert in the oral cavity and does not leach into saliva under normal use conditions. The wax coating (composition unspecified by manufacturer) aids glide and grip; most dental floss waxes are food-grade paraffin or plant-based blends, though Reach does not publicly disclose the exact source. Dental organizations including the ADA have evaluated this material combination.
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.
Wax coating composition and source unspecified
Reach does not disclose whether wax is paraffin, plant-based, or synthetic. Potential concern is minimal for oral use (brief contact, not ingested), but lack of transparency prevents full assessment of wax additives or contaminants.
What’s reassuring
Base material not linked to PFAS
The main material recorded for this product is not one associated with PFAS.
Fragrance additives in flavored variants
Reach Waxed Floss (unflavored) contains no reported artificial fragrance. Flavored variants of this or competing products may carry allergen or sensitization risk; this specific product avoids that concern.
Microplastics
Nylon floss is robust and does not shed microplastics under normal use; it is swallowed in negligible amounts and does not degrade in the mouth. No evidence of nylon floss contributing to microplastic ingestion.
Source, EPA ↗Heavy metals
Reach Waxed Floss is typically white or light-colored nylon with minimal added pigment. No cadmium, lead, or other heavy metal dyes have been reported in dental floss products from major brands.
Source, FDA ↗Formaldehyde / VOCs
Nylon and food-grade wax do not require formaldehyde-based preservation or cross-linking. No formaldehyde is expected in this product category or reported in Reach floss.
Source, ATSDR ↗The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Reach (owned by Johnson & Johnson) maintains no published transparency statement on floss material sourcing or chemical composition beyond general regulatory compliance. The brand has not issued recalls specific to dental floss toxicity or contamination in recent decades. No independent testing controversies or safety failures are on record for Reach floss products. Reach's silence on wax sourcing is typical for the dental floss category but leaves PFAS origin unconfirmed.
How it compares in its category
Reach Waxed Floss is a conventional product with no material disadvantage versus competing waxed nylon flosses (Oral-B, Colgate, store brands). Unflavored waxed nylon floss like this one carries lower chemical exposure risk than flavored or coated variants, which may add synthetic fragrances or dyes. Relative to unwaxed floss, the wax coating introduces minimal new hazard but cannot be fully evaluated without ingredient disclosure.
If you buy it
Standard dental floss requires no special storage or care; keep in a cool, dry place away from extreme heat. Replace the spool or container if floss becomes frayed, contaminated, or visibly degraded. Use daily as directed by your dentist; there is no documented cumulative toxicity risk from routine oral use. Do not swallow floss or give to young children unsupervised, as choking is a mechanical hazard, not a chemical one.
What we don’t know
- 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.
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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.