Would you rather floss your teeth, or get an injection in the arm? Seems like an easy question to answer, right?

Nobody likes a shot, yet that's the most common way to receive a vaccine, such as a flu shot. But scientists are always looking on ways to improve the system, and it turns out that getting your vaccine via dental floss may be in your future!

A team of scientists based in the U.S. demonstrated how this might work on lab mice, finding that vaccine delivery via dental floss was more effective at stimulating antibody production than if the vaccine was delivered under the mice’s tongues and about as effective as a nasal spray delivery method. If the results hold true for humans, then some vaccines could be given via tooth tape and without the need for needles.

Because the tissue in between our teeth and gums is more permeable than other similar tissues, like those lining your stomach, lungs, and intestines, then it should be able to introduce a vaccine into the body relatively easily, triggering the production of antibodies throughout the mucosal layers.

To investigate the practicality of the flossing approach, the researchers also tested its mechanics with humans. Using floss picks, they coated the tape with food dye and asked study participants to try and get it as deep between their teeth and their gums as they could. Participants were able to deposit around 60% of the dye in the gum pocket, indicating that vaccine-coated floss picks could be an effective way to deliver vaccines to that tissue.

As for costs, the researchers think that it would be similar in price to other vaccine delivery techniques. However, there are some inherent limitations to a floss vaccine.

“For example, it can only be used for individuals with teeth,” the researchers explained in the study. Well, yeah… and that seems like another good reason to brush and floss your teeth!