(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . We are brushing and flossing and eating plastic [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-21 Plastic is ubiquitous. Avoiding it while living on planet Earth is now impossible. You can lose your mind trying to avoid the microplastics and nanoplastics in our drinking water, food, clothing, furniture, and the air we breathe. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try a little. Why? Because increasingly the plastics accumulating in our bodies are being linked to health problems. An article last week in The New York Times highlighted some things we can do to reduce our daily exposure. I’ve created a bullet list of the highlights, but I noticed that NYT left out any consideration of the microplastics generated by brushing our teeth and flossing. In fact most articles I’ve read also overlook this twice daily behavior… so I’m going to add my own bit here. Flossing and spitting. Flossing Dental floss is typically made from nylon. Given opaque manufacturing techniques, nylon/plastic floss may also contain bisphenol and pthalates. The act of flossing in tight spaces will absolutely cause the generation of microplastics in your mouth. These have been found in gum biopsies, and contribute to gum inflammation. Plus, nylon floss will take 80 years to degrade in the landfill. Often PFAS like Teflon are added to make the floss glide more easily. PFAS are the forever chemicals associated with health problems like immune system impairment, cancer, fertility concerns, reproductive and developmental impacts, and kidney disease. Plastic floss is usually coated with wax that comes from petroleum. This can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and other manufacturing byproducts. Consumer Reports recently published a good article on dental floss, and rated three brands as “best” based on the fact that biodegradable silk is used instead of plastic/nylon, and the products are claimed to be free from PFAS. I can’t vouch for these brands, but I will say that I have been using floss from a company called Woo Bamboo. It is made of silk, but unlike other brands I have tried, the silk is sturdy enough to hold up to flossing in tight spaces without breaking easily. I don’t think silk nanoparticles are a thing, biodegradable and clearable as they are. Woo Bamboo floss is also coated with beeswax instead of a petroleum-derived wax. Even the packaging is without plastic, and therefore better for the landfill. It is more expensive than plastic, with a 4 pack going for like $20 on Amazon. You get what you pay for. (Disclosure: I have no connections with this company.) Spitting The bristles on toothbrushes are usually made from Nylon. I’m not aware of any good alternatives, unless you want to try boar bristles, or chewing on sticks made from neem bark. I am not willing to do this, nor eat insects for protein. I’m sorry planet Earth. To be a better environmental steward, I will consider using a toothbrush with a bamboo handle when not using my electric toothbrush. Anyway, we can assume that the vigorous brushing of nylon filaments against our teeth produces nano and microplastics. Many toothpastes used to contain microbeads of plastic until very recently. They were fancy-looking and those little colored specks acted as gentle abrasives. But like all microbeads, these were unnecessary and contributed to major plastic pollution in our waterways and oceans downstream from the sink. The U.S Congress passed The Microbead-Free Water Act in 2015 with bipartisan support. It was signed into law by President Obama. Microbeads have been phased out of toothpaste and rinse-off cosmetics pretty much completely as of 2019, which is great for many reasons. The EU did much the same along a similar timeline. But just like ultra-processed chicken nuggets, we can assume there is a good amount of other microplastics in the plastic tube of toothpaste itself - even if no longer obvious microbeads. So bottom line for brushing with those obligatory nylon bristles and toothpaste, I am going to go out on a limb and state that it’s a good idea to rinse thoroughly and spit… and not bother leaving some toothpaste in your mouth for the flouride benefit. Even though many sources recommend just spitting and not rinsing to retain that flouride contact with our teeth, we get plenty of flouride and can always use a flouride-containing, alcohol-free mouth wash for that. Happy for any dentists out there to chime in! 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