I Tried Flaus, a "Smart" Electric Flosser - and It Leveled Up My Dental Routine

I'm inordinately proud of the fact that I'm a daily flosser. Maybe I shouldn't be; maybe everyone else instantly internalized their dentists' directions to floss every night once they had a full set of teeth. But I didn't. It wasn't until I was out of college and in Invisalign that I became too grossed out to skip a single flossing session. But even though I feel confident in my flossing routine, there's always room for improvement. So when Instagram hit me with a targeted ad for Flaus, a "smart electric flosser," I was instantly intrigued.

The Flaus Electric Flosser Starter Kit ($119) comes with everything you need to get set up: the flosser, charging base, charging cord, and recyclable floss heads. After your initial order, Flaus Heads Refills ($15-$19) are also available. In person, Flaus looks like an electric toothbrush, but with a floss head instead of a brush head. And that's kind of what it is. Press the button on Flaus's wand and it turns on sonic vibrations that move the floss left to right. This is meant to help the floss hit those tight spaces between your teeth and dislodge gunk (not the scientific term), without the maneuvering you have to do with traditional floss.

Even though I no longer have to lie when my dentist asks me how often I floss, the doc does sometimes nudge me to spend a little more time really getting the waxed string deep in between my teeth. Flaus seemed like it could help me be a little more thorough — so I could finally get an A+ from my dentist (a totally normal goal for an adult woman to have). The company kindly gifted me a wand to try out — and it really did deliver the extra-clean mouth of my dreams.

What I Liked About Flaus

I currently use a wand to floss, since I hate the feeling of the spitty, slippery floss wrapped around my fingers. So I was already familiar with, and a fan of, the general system. But the real magic happens when you turn on Flaus's sonic vibrations. At first, I wasn't sure they were doing much. Although Flaus says they move the floss head in a left-to-right motion, I didn't notice any real side-to-side action as much as a general fast, fluttery vibration. But once I finished flossing, my mouth felt noticeably cleaner.

Not to get too explicit, but you can tell when your flossing has dislodged some plaque or (sorry) food particles that escaped your brush. Flaus really worked loose some lingering buildup, which made me feel kind of lousy about my brushing technique, but really good about the floss.

What's Worth Noting About Flaus

On the list of things I feel guilty about, using disposable floss heads makes it into the top 15. But Flaus heads are actually meant to be recyclable. The site's FAQs page notes that "every municipal recycling program is different" and asks customers to collect their used Flaus heads, then email support@goflaus.com for a prepaid shipping label and mail in the used heads to be recycled — which is very nice, although a little inconvenient.

Flaus's FAQs also taught me that all traditional floss is nonbiodegradable and nonrecyclable (not just my usual floss heads), which made me feel both better (because maybe my wand heads aren't so bad, comparatively) and worse (because why does everything we do harm the planet?). To that end, Flaus heads mean using less floss in general, and they're made with recyclable plastic.

The only other thing I'll mention is that Flaus does take up more bathroom real estate than a traditional floss spool or a thin floss wand — a little less than a slim electric toothbrush. As someone who lives in an NYC apartment and is constantly obsessing about space and storage, that's a bit of a downside. But the company does sell a Magnetic Mirror Mount ($12) to solve for that issue.

Is Flaus Really More Effective Than Regular Floss?

I felt like Flaus was giving me a deeper clean. But I also looked at the research. One 2023 study in the journal Clinical and Experimental Dental Research found that mechanical power‐driven interdental cleaning tools (PDICTs) — like vibrating flossers — were at least comparable to regular flossing (when combined with brushing) at reducing plaque, inflammation, and gum bleeding. But the study also found that people may be more likely to use PDICTs than they are to use regular floss — and since flossing is really one of those things you should be doing daily, that's a big perk.

The study did report a couple instances of people being mildly hurt by using mechanical PDICTs incorrectly, so be sure to follow the directions.

Who Flaus Is Best For

If you have trouble sticking to a flossing habit or you want to take your daily flossing regimen to the next level, Flaus would be a fantastic addition to your nighttime routine.

Additional details

Where Is Flaus Available?

Flaus is available on GoFlaus.com and Amazon.com.

Rating

★★★★☆

Mirel Zaman (she/her) is the health and fitness director at PS. She has over 15 years of experience working in the health and wellness space, covering fitness, general health, mental health, relationships and sex, food and nutrition, spirituality, family and parenting, culture, and news.