Nylon Floss by Butler · Dental Floss
GUM Butlerweave Floss Mint Waxed
Lower PFAS concern; standard nylon floss with conventional wax, silent on chemicals but no red flags.
GUM Butlerweave is basic nylon dental floss with wax, a conventional product formulation without obvious Teflon-family coating or water-repellent coating coatings that typically carry PFAS risk. The brand makes no PFAS claims or disclosures, which is typical for floss; standard wax coatings on floss are not known to require PFAS.
Shop Nylon Floss by Butler on Amazon →Material
Nylon floss 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
GUM Butlerweave uses nylon filament (polyamide 6 or 6.6) as the base, coated with food-grade wax, typically a blend of beeswax, carnauba wax, or paraffin. Nylon is inert in the oral cavity and does not leach under normal use conditions. The wax coating serves to reduce fraying, aid slip between teeth, and allow easier removal of plaque; it is not absorbed systemically in meaningful amounts.
The brand's record and disclosure
Butler (part of Sunstar Group) has no major safety recalls or warnings on record for this floss product. The company does not publicly disclose detailed chemical composition or third-party certifications (e.g., ADA Seal acceptance is not listed as a trademark on this specific SKU). Brand transparency on ingredient sourcing and PFAS status remains silent, which is typical for dental floss manufacturers and does not indicate a problem.
How it compares in its category
Nylon waxed floss is the dominant material in the category and is considered the safe baseline. Alternatives include unwaxed nylon (higher breakage risk), Teflon-type coating floss (similar safety profile, slightly lower friction), and plant-based options like silk (equivalent safety but higher cost, less durable). GUM Butlerweave is a mainstream product with no differentiation on safety, it sits squarely in the conventional, well-established design.
If you buy it
Store floss in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to prevent wax degradation. Use gentle sawing motions and do not snap the floss, as this can damage gums. Replace the spool when wax begins to pill or separate from nylon, or approximately every 3-6 months with daily use. Mint flavoring is cosmetic and safe; if sensitivity to mint occurs (rare), switch to unflavored variants from the same or competitor brands.
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.”
Wax composition and food-grade safety
Dental floss wax is regulated as a food-contact material in most jurisdictions and is not known to leach harmful substances into the oral cavity at normal use temperatures and contact times. No adverse events linked to GUM Butlerweave wax coating are on record.
Mint flavoring and oral irritation
Peppermint or spearmint oil added for flavor is safe in trace amounts for oral use. Allergic contact dermatitis to mint is rare but possible in sensitive individuals; this is not a product-specific concern and affects a very small subset of users.
Nylon degradation and microplastic release
Nylon floss does not degrade during normal oral use or storage at room temperature. Microplastic release from intact floss is not established as a plausible hazard; once removed from teeth, used floss is typically discarded and does not enter the body.
Choking or aspiration risk
Dental floss is a choking hazard for young children and pets if unsupervised. This is a mechanical hazard, not a chemical one, and applies uniformly across all floss products. Keep out of reach of children under 6 and animals.
Dyes or colorants in wax
GUM Butlerweave does not appear to contain synthetic azo dyes or heavy metal pigments; mint green coloring is likely achieved with food-safe colorants. No specific analysis of this product's dye safety is publicly available, but the category poses minimal risk.
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.