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This Floss Is So Great That I Actually Started Flossing Every Day

If you’re anything like me, going to the dentist is a biannual nightmare. I actually manage my pre–dentist visit anxieties moderately well (and I see a delightful pediatric dentist for the most gentle experience possible); it’s the results of each visit that worry me. For as long as I can remember, visiting the dentist comes with an unpleasant diagnosis: cavities. I can’t tell you how many tooth cavities I’ve had filled, or how many times I’ve gone in to have sealants done to prevent future cavities.

It’s not that I don’t take care of my teeth—I do. I learned how to floss, I don’t drink sugary sodas or juices with any regularity, and I brush with a fancy electric toothbrush twice a day, every day. I even wear my retainers regularly (though learning how to clean retainers was its own struggle). Even with all of that, my dentist found cavities on every visit; we were discussing a prescription toothpaste to help my tooth cavity woes when the solution wandered into my life: Cocofloss.

RELATED: How to Brush Your Teeth Properly

Before I tried Cocofloss, a toxin-free dental floss made of textured filaments, I flossed two or three times each week. I thought I was doing pretty well in terms of dental health, but the frequency with which I had cavities said otherwise. I didn’t like flossing: It took forever, was unpleasant, and was extremely challenging—as a dental hygienist once told me, I have close-set teeth.

I didn’t think I’d ever start flossing my teeth at the dentist-recommended frequency of seven times a week, but Cocofloss changed all that: I am, for the first time in my life, flossing every day. (Or almost every day—I’m not perfect.)

Most dental floss is made of nylon, which can shred easily and often snapped while I was using it. Cocofloss, on the other hand, feels almost like thread, and it compresses and works easily between my teeth without a lot of tugging and pulling. It’s also thicker than standard floss, which means it scrubs away more plaque, too.

cocofloss.com

Cocofloss Dental Floss, $9; anthropologie.com.

Beyond the flossing benefits, Cocofloss has a ton of other perks that make flossing—dare I say it—fun. It comes in a range of lovely scents such as mint, strawberry, and orange, plus special limited-editions, which include my personal favorites, chocolate and vanilla. Instead of cloying smells and overpowering flavors, though, Cocofloss just has a soft aroma: It’s just strong enough to notice, but you don’t taste anything overwhelmingly synthetic. The floss itself is soft and coated in a vegan wax for easier use—it’s all cruelty-free—and you can order refill floss to use in your floss holder, instead of buying a whole new set every few months, for a more sustainable flossing routine. (Cocofloss containers even feature a handy counter on the back to help you judge when it’s time to reorder.)

Using Cocofloss is, overall, a pleasant experience. Instead of feeling like a chore, flossing feels like another step in my nightly routine, just like applying moisturizer or removing my contacts. I’m actually flossing every day and not hating it. Best of all, at my last dentist appointment, my dentist had excellent news: no new cavities.