Do you spend all day looking forward to that time of night, right before bed, when you can finally stand in front of your bathroom mirror and thoughtfully, carefully floss between each and every tooth? Yeah, didn’t think so. For most people, flossing is at best a necessary evil. Since more than 30% of Australians aren’t even brushing their teeth daily, the flossing statistics are undoubtedly even worse.

Does Flossing Even Matter?

Sadly, while flossing is not exactly an exhilarating task, it remains an important one to maintain your oral health and prevent gum disease and tooth decay. While brushing your teeth is also important, a toothbrush simply can’t reach all the surfaces of your teeth to remove plaque. Floss has the unique ability to clean plaque and food debris from those hard-to-reach spots in between your teeth.

Of course, controversy has been recently stirred up over flossing’s usefulness. It turns out that research is shaky on whether or not flossing is actually beneficial — an issue that may be due at least partially to the fact that many people are not truthful when surveyed about their flossing habits. But the ADA and several other major dental organizations continue to recommend the technique. As a low-cost intervention, even a small benefit makes it worthwhile. And if new technology can make flossing even faster and more effective, so much the better.

New 3D Device Allows One-Bite Flossing

You may remember Blizzident from their 2013 launch of a 3D-printed toothbrush that claimed to brush all your teeth in just six seconds. Dentists were skeptical about the unproven new product at the time. Now, Blizzident is back in the news with a brand new 3D-printed oral hygiene device designed for speed and efficiency: The 3D-Flosser.

The 3D-flosser is custom-made based on a scan of your teeth, so that the floss can be carefully placed into exactly the right spots to allow you to bite down on the gadget and instantly floss all of your teeth at once. The 3D-flosser will cost you 199 EUR — that’s a whopping 305 AUD — and every 500 uses (that’s less than a year and a half if you floss daily) you’ll need to replace the floss roll for another 49 EUR (75 AUD).

If you’re doing the math, you may be less excited about the prospect of the 3D-flosser: Considering that an average container of dental floss can cover about 60 uses and only costs two or three dollars, Blizzident’s new product doesn’t exactly pay for itself. And just like with the 3D toothbrush, dentists have questions about the safety and efficacy of the device.

Regardless of how you go about it, flossing should stay an essential part of your dental care routine. The costs are low (particularly if you aren’t investing in fancy, 3D-printed flossing devices!) and your oral health is worth a few extra minutes in front of the mirror each evening.

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