▁g um , ▁to ▁dis l odge ▁that ▁ir rit ating ▁matter ▁which ▁no ▁br ush ▁can ▁remove ▁and ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁real ▁source ▁of ▁disease ." ▁He ▁considered ▁this ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁part ▁of ▁or al ▁care . ▁Fl oss ▁was ▁not ▁commer cially ▁available ▁until ▁ 1 8 8 2 , ▁when ▁the ▁C od man ▁and ▁Sh urt left ▁company ▁started ▁producing ▁unw ax ed ▁sil k ▁fl oss . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁the ▁Johnson ▁& ▁Johnson ▁Corporation ▁received ▁the ▁first ▁pat ent ▁for ▁dent al ▁fl oss ▁that ▁was ▁made ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁sil k ▁material ▁used ▁by ▁do ctors ▁for ▁sil k ▁st itch es . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁dent al ▁fl oss ▁in ▁literary ▁fiction ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁James ▁Joy ce ' s ▁famous ▁novel ▁U ly ss es ▁( serial ized ▁ 1 9 1 8 – 1 9 2 0 ), ▁but ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁fl oss ▁was ▁low ▁before ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁During ▁the ▁war , ▁n yl on ▁fl oss ▁was ▁developed ▁by ▁phys ician ▁Charles ▁C . ▁Bass . ▁N yl on ▁fl oss ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁better ▁than ▁sil k ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁greater ▁ab ras ion ▁resistance ▁and ▁because ▁it ▁could ▁be ▁produced ▁in ▁great ▁lengths ▁and ▁at ▁various ▁sizes . ▁ ▁Fl oss ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁American ▁and ▁Canadian ▁daily ▁personal ▁care ▁rout ines ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s .