Abstract: A dental floss includes a filament spun or otherwise created from a protein, such as recombinantly produced spider silk protein. The filament may be coated or surface textured. The filament may also be combined with another like filament or a non-proteinaceous fiber.

Abstract: A manual advance floss holder which is simple and inexpensive to construct, comfortable to grasp, convenient to use in one hand and presents floss for flossing under uniform and proper tension while protecting the supply of unused floss from contamination including a body with a fork located at its distal end, a floss control mechanism within the body of the manual advance floss holder, a floss control mechanism including supply and take-up reels and means for advancing the floss therebetween under tension, and different compartments within the body for isolating spent and fresh floss.