A Monumental Flossing Reminder?

Perhaps you've seen or visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It's hard to miss the Kingdom Tower, which has been a major landmark in the city since 2002. 

The Kingdom Tower is owned by Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, a prince of the Saudi royal family. It is also the headquarters of his holding company: Kingdom Holding Company.

The traditional Adhan (azan), the call to prayer, is done from minarets throughout Muslim countries 5 times a day.

I wonder if it occurred to the Prince that his building might serve as a modern reminder to the people of the city that they should floss?

Let Inmates Floss!

You may have heard about the $500 million lawsuit filed by Santiago Gomez (shown), an inmate and future lawyer, in NY State. He is fighting for fellow inmate's inability to get floss. Right on, Senor Gomez!

How has it come to this?  Keeping people incarcerated is tough.  Of course it is!  I believe the US has the highest per capita rate of incarceration, so we should at least get good at it (and stop wasting so much jailing people).

Prisoners rights is an important issue, and here we have one tiny part of it - they can't get dental floss.

Let's hope this floss issue opens up a wider discussion of what prisoners are being offered to maintain their health. (If inmates can no longer make toothbrushs into shanks, we should be able to offer floss.)

The question also needs to be applied to the inmates of public and corporate contracted prisons.

Dental Floss Guitar Strings

With the support of a company that makes rings to hold floss (so you don't hunt your fingers wrapped in floss), Ewan Dobson figured out how to twist dental floss into usable guitar strings.
He plays them for 3min 16 sec and could probably play them even longer.

Here's the video link:
Ewan Dobson playing a dental floss guitar

Score another use for dental floss!

NFC Single Floss Packet to the Rescue!

Here's a note and photo that arrived today from Leanne, the NFC's Chief Australian Correspondent.  Leanne is currently visiting Bermuda.

Bermuda: 0800 hrs. A desperate call from the bathroom.
 
'Argh!  I left my floss in Melbourne'
 
'don't worry, I'm carrying a small emergency supply. 
 
'thanks NFC!'

"Teach Me How to Brushy"

A great video from Oregon.
The mix of cool and uncool makes it explosive fun!

"Teach Me How to Brushy"

Frank Zappa's Dental Floss Ad

Frank Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) had a big hit in 1973 with his typically wacky song "Montana," about moving to Montana to become a dental floss tycoon. 

By 1981, the song was so popular the American Dental Association had Zappa do a group of 3 radio spots promoting dental health. 

Here's the 30 sec spot where he promotes dental floss.

"Montana" was probably the best flossing song of the 20th Century!
Thanks, Frank!  We'll floss with you in mind.

Tie Floss in a Loop for Easier Flossing!

This idea was posted on Lifehacker by Thorin Klosowski.

Our resident flossing expert, Dr. Chip Tartaroff, tried it and finds it a perfectly good way to floss.

But, by the way, unless you have terrifically tight teeth, Dr. T points out that you don't often need to wrap floss around your fingers to work with it.

For those with tight teeth, however, this may make flossing a bit easier.

Floss on!