▁most ▁recommended ▁by ▁dent al ▁profession als . ▁Not ably , ▁small - scale ▁clin ical ▁studies ▁have ▁demonstrated ▁that ▁dent al ▁fl oss , ▁when ▁used ▁correctly , ▁may ▁lead ▁to ▁clin ically ▁significant ▁improvements ▁in ▁proxim al ▁ging ival ▁health . ▁ ▁Fl oss ▁thread er ▁ ▁A ▁fl oss ▁thread er ▁is ▁loop ▁of ▁fi ber ▁that ▁is ▁sh aped ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁produce ▁better ▁handling ▁characteristics . ▁It ▁is ▁( similar ▁to ▁fish ing ▁line ) ▁used ▁to ▁thread ▁fl oss ▁into ▁small , ▁hard ▁to ▁reach ▁sites ▁around ▁teeth . ▁Thread ers ▁are ▁sometimes ▁required ▁to ▁fl oss ▁with ▁dent al ▁bra ces , ▁fix ▁retain ers , ▁and ▁bridge . ▁ ▁Fl oss ▁pick ▁▁▁ ▁A ▁fl oss ▁pick ▁ ▁is ▁a ▁dispos able ▁or al ▁h yg iene ▁device ▁generally ▁made ▁of ▁pl astic ▁and ▁dent al ▁fl oss . ▁The ▁instrument ▁is ▁composed ▁of ▁two ▁pr ongs ▁extending ▁from ▁a ▁thin ▁pl astic ▁body ▁of ▁high - imp act ▁pol yst y rene ▁material . ▁ ▁A ▁single ▁piece ▁of ▁fl oss ▁runs ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁pr ongs . ▁ ▁The ▁body ▁of ▁the ▁fl oss ▁pick ▁generally ▁tap ers ▁at ▁its ▁end ▁in ▁the ▁shape ▁of ▁a ▁to oth pick . ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁types ▁of ▁ang led ▁fl oss ▁pick s ▁in ▁the ▁or al ▁care ▁industry , ▁the ▁' Y '- sh aped ▁angle ▁and ▁the ▁' F '- sh aped ▁angle ▁fl oss ▁pick . ▁At ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁arch