CONOR POPElooks at dental floss

Tesco Total Care Dental Tape

€1.69 for 100m

Not long ago we reviewed a Tesco toothpaste that was dramatically cheaper than branded products, and just as good. So we were quite pleased when we came across this floss which is also much cheaper than well-known brands as we assumed we would have equally positive things to say about it. We were wrong. This is not very good at all. It frayed almost the moment it was introduced to our teeth, which rendered it nearly useless. Perhaps because it frayed, the floss almost always snapped in our mouth. It does have a vaguely minty flavour to it and if you are very gentle or have very gappy teeth then it might be for you.

Verdict: Flimsy, cheap **

Oral B Essential Floss

€2.83 for 50m

We are always suspicious of market-leading brands, particularly those brands which advertise heavily, because it is consumers who pay for all the branding. Which is why perhaps this floss is so expensive. Not only is this significantly more expensive than the own-brand option we tried, it is also half the length. However it is much better. The floss is sturdy, not likely to shred and it works. While it seems pricey enough, a packet should last you several months, even if you are very diligent and floss every night before you go to bed. And, seriously, who does that?

Verdict:Sturdy, expensive ***

Dentex Comfort Clean Floss

€3.45 for 60 picks

We were deeply suspicious of this product. Not only did we get a comparatively small amount of floss, we had to pay a whole lot more for it. And then there was all the plastic waste going on here. Despite our reservations, which are valid, we still ended up being very impressed. Each stick comes with a very good tooth pick, enough strong floss to cover all your teeth – even those which are tightly packed together. And you can even scrape your tongue clean with it and, let’s face it, who doesn’t want to scrape their tongue clean at least once a day? What’s that? Everyone? Oh.

Verdict: Expensive, but it works ****

Dentalux Dental Floss from Lidl

€0.79 for 5Om

This wins hands down in terms of price and the quality is pretty good too. It has a vaguely minty flavour which is largely relevant but of more importance is the strength of the string. The floss is good and strong and will make your gums bleed in the blink of an eye, a grim but necessary step on the road to oral wellbeing we are told. It is more than three times cheaper than the most well known brand on the market and, in our opinion at any rate, just as good and while it is slightly more expensive than the Tesco own brand floss it does a much better job.

Verdict:Hard to top *****