dental floss came on the market in 1936.
dental floss came on the market in 1936.
when did dental floss come on the market?
1936
levi spear parmly, a dentist from new orleans, is credited with inventing the first form of dental floss. in 1819, he recommended running a waxen silk thread "through the interstices of the teeth, between their necks and the arches of the gum, to dislodge that irritating matter which no brush can remove and which is the real source of disease." he considered this the most important part of oral care. floss was not commercially available until 1882, when the codman and shurtleft company started producing unwaxed silk floss. in 1898, the johnson & johnson corporation received the first patent for dental floss that was made from the same silk material used by doctors for silk stitches.
dental floss
a variety of dental flosses are commonly available. floss is available in many forms including waxed, unwaxed monofilaments and multifilaments. dental floss that is made of monofilaments coated in wax slides easily between teeth, does not fray and is generally higher in cost than its uncoated counterparts. the most important difference between available dental flosses is thickness. waxed and unwaxed floss are available in varying widths. studies have shown that there is no difference in the effectiveness of waxed and unwaxed dental floss, but some waxed types of dental floss are said to contain antibacterial agents and/or sodium fluoride. factors to consider in choosing a floss include the amount of space between teeth and user preference. dental tape is a type of floss product which is wider and flatter than conventional floss. dental tape is recommended for people with larger tooth surface area.
dental floss