The statistic that opened Stefan White’s talk at the British Dental Conference & Dentistry Show 2026 in Birmingham is one that most dental professionals will find both familiar and dispiriting: 71% of people in the UK do not floss daily.[i]
What made Stefan’s session different from the usual recitation of compliance data was what came next. Rather than dwelling on the problem, he traced it – its causes, its human cost, and his personal relationship with it – and then presented a solution that has already begun to move the needle.
The compliance problem is a design problem
Stefan’s argument is disarmingly straightforward. Conventional string floss requires a level of manual dexterity that a significant portion of the population simply does not have – or finds too difficult to sustain consistently. It is time-consuming, technique-sensitive, and for patients with sensitive gums or soft tissue problems, it can be actively painful. Water flossers address some of these issues but introduce others: they are messy, bulky, and impractical for daily use at a sink. The result is a category of oral hygiene tool that, despite decades of clinical advocacy, has never achieved meaningful population-wide compliance.
The Tahir Electric Flosser’s 73% continued use rate – a figure Stefan cited during the talk – sits well above category norms for interdental cleaning products, and reflects a device designed around the barriers that cause patients to stop rather than the features that cause them to start.
The science behind the claim
The session’s clinical anchoring was provided by Dr Ali Golkari, researcher at Queen Mary University of London, who presented an analysis of electric flossing technology and its performance across the key anatomical areas that interdental cleaning must address: the contact point and the embrasure space. His findings placed the electric flosser in a favourable position, performing strongly at both areas where many alternative methods tend to prioritise one over the other. The low dexterity requirement, he noted, is central to the design: a tool that can be used effectively by a broader range of patients is a tool that will be used consistently.
During the talk, a direct parallel was drawn with the electric toothbrush. Before powered brushing became mainstream, manual brushing compliance was similarly inconsistent. The electric toothbrush didn’t change the advice, it changed the experience of following it. Interdental cleaning is ready for the same shift.
The story behind the brand
What gave the session its heart was Stefan’s willingness to share the personal history that led him here. He developed Crohn’s disease, a condition that brought with it debilitating mouth ulcers, a common side effect. Flossing, which could have helped manage his oral symptoms, was effectively inaccessible to him: string floss with fingers in a painful mouth was simply not a viable option, and only led to more ulcers. The experience gave him both the motivation and the empathy to develop something better.
The device is named after Tahir, the surgeon whose intervention during a life-threatening rupture saved Stefan’s life. It is a detail that says something about what kind of brand Tahir Oral Care intends to be: one based on both genuine need and personal experience. Stefan also handed over a £1,000 cheque to Dentaid The Dental Charity during the session, and promised them the profits from that day of trading at the show; part of an ongoing commitment to charitable giving through the business.
The room responds
Audience response after the talk was notably warm. One GDP told Stefan directly that his personal story had resonated. “I look forward to seeing where Tahir goes next.”
Perhaps more striking was the account offered by another attendee – an audience member who had been personally using the Tahir Electric Flosser for twelve weeks following a warning of advanced gum disease. “My gums have stopped bleeding,” they said. “They’ve gone back to pink. They’re no longer spongy.” They also praised Dr Golkari’s contribution. “Clinical and informative; really interesting.”
The Tahir Electric Flosser is the number one selling oral care brand at Harrods and is also available via tahiroralcare.com. Stefan’s goal – to reduce the proportion of non-flossers in the UK from 71% to 50% in his lifetime – is an ambitious proposal.
But as evidenced by the attendees at Birmingham, as well as with the Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry’s ongoing 1,000-person study on the efficacy of the electric flosser, we just might be ready for change.
The Tahir Electric Flosser is available for patients at tahiroralcare.com and through Harrods. For practice enquiries and professional ordering, visit tahiroralcare.com
Author: Stefan White Founder & Managing Director Tahir Oral Care
[i] GOV.UK. Adult oral health survey 2021: health-related behaviours. GOV.UK. Published January 25, 2024. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/adult-oral-health-survey-2021/adult-oral-health-survey-2021-health-related-behaviours
