diff --git a/src/doc-utils.js b/src/doc-utils.js
index f727bdb8d08c..61c5babeacbb 100644
--- a/src/doc-utils.js
+++ b/src/doc-utils.js
@@ -68,18 +68,6 @@ function isEmpty(n) {
   return typeof n === "string" && n.length === 0;
 }
 
-function getFirstString(doc) {
-  return findInDoc(
-    doc,
-    doc => {
-      if (typeof doc === "string" && doc.trim().length !== 0) {
-        return doc;
-      }
-    },
-    null
-  );
-}
-
 function isLineNext(doc) {
   return findInDoc(
     doc,
@@ -150,7 +138,6 @@ function propagateBreaks(doc) {
 
 module.exports = {
   isEmpty,
-  getFirstString,
   willBreak,
   isLineNext,
   traverseDoc,
diff --git a/src/printer.js b/src/printer.js
index f1da58fc0653..e403e103050f 100644
--- a/src/printer.js
+++ b/src/printer.js
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@ var lineSuffixBoundary = docBuilders.lineSuffixBoundary;
 var docUtils = require("./doc-utils");
 var willBreak = docUtils.willBreak;
 var isLineNext = docUtils.isLineNext;
-var getFirstString = docUtils.getFirstString;
 var isEmpty = docUtils.isEmpty;
 
 var types = require("ast-types");
@@ -3201,16 +3200,6 @@ function adjustClause(node, clause, forceSpace) {
   return indent(concat([line, clause]));
 }
 
-function isCurlyBracket(doc) {
-  const str = getFirstString(doc);
-  return str === "{" || str === "{}";
-}
-
-function isEmptyBlock(doc) {
-  const str = getFirstString(doc);
-  return str === "{}";
-}
-
 function shouldTypeScriptTypeAvoidColon(path) {
   // As the special TS nodes isn't returned by the node helpers,
   // we use the stack directly to get the parent node.