Floss combines lubricity with grip.

Colgate-Palmolive of New York, USA, has developed dental floss made from both polytetrafluoroethylene and non-polytetrafluoroethylene filaments.

In US Patent 6 270 890, the company says the polytetrafluoroethylene filaments (100-800 den) provide lubricity, while the non-polytetrafluoroethylene filaments allow better gripping of the floss.

Compared with other filaments, polytetrafluoroethylene has the advantage of a low coefficient of friction (0.08 and lower), which allows it to pass readily through the narrow spaces between the teeth.

The non-po