Reach · Dental Floss
Reach UltraClean Mint Blast Dental Floss
Lower-concern option, standard nylon floss carries minimal PFAS risk, but Reach offers no transparency.
Reach UltraClean Mint Blast is conventional nylon monofilament dental floss with no known PFAS-prone treatments or coatings. The brand makes no PFAS claims or disclosures. No independent lab data or recalls exist; standard dental floss is not typically a PFAS vector.
Shop Reach on Amazon →Material
Nylon monofilament (typical dental floss)
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
Reach UltraClean Mint Blast is nylon monofilament floss, the industry standard for decades. Nylon fibers themselves are inert polymers that do not leach into saliva under normal oral use. The mint flavoring and wax coating (if present) are applied topically and contact only the tooth surface and gum tissue briefly during flossing, then are removed or swallowed in trace amounts.
The brand's record and disclosure
Reach (Johnson & Johnson subsidiary) maintains no public PFAS disclosure policy specific to dental floss, despite J&J's stated commitment to transparency in other product lines. The brand has no documented recalls or safety controversies tied to dental floss chemistry. Johnson & Johnson has faced lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny in other categories (talc, pharmaceuticals) but not for oral care products.
How it compares in its category
Nylon monofilament floss is the safest mainstream floss material on the market and carries identical chemical profiles across most commercial brands (Reach, Oral-B, Crest, store brands). Some premium alternatives use silk or polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon-type coating), but silk offers no safety advantage and Teflon-type coating introduces different concerns. Reach's mint flavoring and wax are cosmetic additions that do not alter the hazard profile relative to unflavored versions.
If you buy it
Dental floss is used once daily in the mouth for 1-2 minutes and is not ingested or heated. Replace your spool when the floss frays, typically every 2-4 months depending on use. Store at room temperature in a dry location to prevent mold growth in the canister. If you have gum disease or bleeding gums, consult a dentist before use, as flossing can aggravate open tissue.
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 and flavoring additives (ingestion via saliva)
Mint flavoring and wax coatings on nylon floss are food-grade approved compounds and present no documented toxicity risk when swallowed in the minute quantities that occur during normal flossing.
Nylon fiber shedding or fragmentation
High-quality nylon monofilament floss does not shed microplastics under normal use; breakage is rare and any fragments swallowed are inert polymer and not absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract.
Formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers in finish
Dental floss materials do not require formaldehyde-based resins or antimicrobial finishes; no documented formaldehyde exposure pathway exists for this product category.
Heavy metals in colorants or mint flavoring
Reach's mint flavoring and white/green dyes are cosmetic-grade and subject to FDA color additive regulations; no heavy metal contamination has been reported in dental floss products from major manufacturers.
Bacterial or mold growth in floss canister
Floss canisters stored in high-humidity bathrooms can develop mold on the floss itself if left open; this is a storage issue, not a manufacturing defect. Keep the lid sealed and replace the spool every few months.
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.