Colgate · Dental Floss
Colgate Total Mint Dental Floss
Lower concern; traditional dental floss design unlikely to contain PFAS, but Colgate makes no public disclosure.
Colgate Total Mint Floss is a waxed nylon monofilament product with no known Teflon-family coating or non-stick treatment, the typical PFAS red flags for dental floss are absent. Colgate does not publicly claim PFAS-free status or disclose ingredient sources, and no independent lab data is publicly available.
Shop Colgate on Amazon →Material
Nylon monofilament with wax coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Category baseline
cosmetics is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Colgate Total Mint Dental Floss is nylon monofilament (a single continuous plastic fiber) coated with wax, typically paraffin or microcrystalline wax. This construction is standard across the floss category and chemically inert under normal use conditions. Nylon does not leach monomers or degradation products into the mouth during brief daily flossing, and wax coatings are food-grade and pose no oral toxicity risk. The mint flavoring is a cosmetic additive that does not introduce documented hazards at the trace quantities present in floss.
The brand's record and disclosure
Colgate-Palmolive does not publish specific material safety data sheets or ingredient sourcing for floss products, which is typical industry practice for low-risk oral care items. The company has faced historical scrutiny over triclosan (an antimicrobial) in toothpaste, leading to reformulation, but floss products are not known to contain that ingredient. No recalls, contamination incidents, or safety controversies specific to Colgate floss have been documented in public records. The brand maintains general compliance certifications (ISO, FDA clearance as a Class I medical device) without specialized third-party safety audits for floss.
How it compares in its category
Nylon-based waxed floss with mint flavoring represents the dominant market design and carries the same safety profile as competing brands (Oral-B, GUM, Listerine). Alternatives include unwaxed nylon (marginally easier to shred, no wax exposure but less glide), polytetrafluoroethylene Teflon-type coating tape (slightly costlier, lower friction), and specialty products (bamboo-viscose blends, silk). No peer-reviewed evidence suggests waxed nylon floss is safer or riskier than these alternatives; choice is primarily ergonomic. Colgate's offering is price-competitive and widely available, with no material differentiation in safety.
If you buy it
Use as directed: dispense 18 inches, wrap around fingers, and gently glide between teeth daily. Nylon does not degrade from normal moisture or temperature exposure in the mouth, and the wax coating is stable indefinitely if stored dry. Discard the product if packaging is visibly damaged or if the spool shows mold (extremely rare). No special precautions are required; routine floss is not a source of microplastic ingestion because the fibers are deliberately removed from the mouth and discarded after use.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
Nylon monofilament degradation or microplastic shedding
Nylon floss is structurally designed to remain intact during use and is removed whole from the mouth after flossing. No published data indicates fiber fragmentation or microplastic release during normal flossing. Intentional disposal (not swallowing) is standard practice.
Wax coating toxicity or leaching
Food-grade paraffin and microcrystalline wax used in dental floss are inert in the mouth and approved for oral contact by the FDA. No documented cases of wax ingestion or toxicity from floss use. Wax is insoluble in saliva and does not dissolve or leach additives.
Mint flavoring allergens or irritants
Mint essential oils or menthol in trace amounts may trigger mild irritation in individuals with sensitivity to mint or contact allergies. This is rare and product-specific sensitivity, not a systemic safety defect. Users with known mint allergy should select unflavored alternatives.
Choking or aspiration risk (pediatric)
Dental floss is a documented choking hazard for young children and should not be used unsupervised. This is a normal product-handling risk, not a material toxicity issue. Age-appropriate supervision is the standard mitigation.
Packaging or spool contamination
Colgate's plastic spool and container are standard polypropylene with no documented leaching or contamination incidents. Storage in dry conditions prevents bacterial or mold growth on the floss itself.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 72% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
Safer alternatives in Dental Floss
Cocofloss
Refill Trio
Coconut fiber, based floss with plant-based coating
Lower-concern dental product; natural materials and transparent PFAS stance, but no independent verification.
⚠Risky category by default
Dental Lace
Refillable Silk Dental Floss
Silk floss with compostable refillable packaging
Lower concern; silk floss with credible PFAS-free positioning and third-party certification.
✓Verified PFAS-free by a third party
Dental Lace
Plant Based/Vegan Floss Refillable Glass Container PFAS-Free (2 Spools/4-
Plant-based vegan floss (likely plant cellulose or silk fibers)
Lower-concern product with explicit PFAS-free claim; no third-party verification limits certainty.
⚠Risky category by default
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.