Dental floss was not available to the general public until 1882, when the Codman and Shurtleft company produced silk unwaxed usable silk floss. The first patent for our commonly used dental floss was given in 1898, to the well known Johnson & Johnson Corporation. Other companies producing early dental floss was Red Cross, Salter Sill Co. and Brunswick.
An early mention of the use of dental floss was seen in fictional literarure, by a character in James Joyce's famous novel Ulysses (1918-1920).
Jay M. Marks, DMD, and his dental hygienists urge flossing and tooth brushing as a daily oral hygiene regimen. Luckily most Americans today brush their teeth, but studiesshow that only 10% to 40% ise floss daily.
If you would like to review your oral hygiene techniques, or if you are overdue for your professional teeth cleaning, please contact us now.