Being allergic to flossing is real, new study reveals

If you are one of the people who use allergy as an excuse to not floss, it would appear your theory has some weight. A report released this month has shown that there really isn’t much evident to support the practice in the first place, CTV News reports. The report goes as far as to suggest that some people are allergic to flossing.

Flossing allergy

Dr Anastasia Cholakis, a periodontist and professor at the University of Manitoba, Canada, published the report after four of her patients reacted badly to flossing. According to CTV News, Dr Cholakis said one of her patients has persistently suffered from periodontal disease over the years, although she brushes their teeth and flossed religiously. This did not stop her gum from getting red, swollen and bleeding.

Dr Cholakis said the three other patients with stubborn periodontal disease had the same dental hygiene routines. After examining a small sample of the patient’s gum, she found that they had developed a hypersensitivity to something in their oral hygiene routine, wondering if they had grown allergic to flossing. They were ordered to stop flossing and few months later, the redness and bleeding had ceased. The study, published in the Journal of the American Dental Association concluded:

…dental practitioners should consider the possibility of a contact hypersensitivity reaction to waxed or coated dental floss, whereby the floss exacerbates the condition instead of assisting in its resolution.

Unassuming suspect

It’s not clear what ingredient might be behind the reactions. Dental floss manufacturers are not obligated to list their ingredients, so they can change. The researchers said they were not able to get floss manufacturers to reveal the chemicals they use in their floss coatings.

Dr. John Perry, co-author of the paper detailing what she noticed in her four patients said:

I would want my patients to know specifically what it is they are using and as a practitioner, I would like to know what it is I am recommending

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