Should I use mouthwash?

mouthwash picture with logo

Mouthwash or Oral rinse is a liquid used to help clean your mouth, teeth, gums, and freshen breath. This usually leads to an antiseptic killing harmful bacteria that can live between your teeth and on your tongue. Mouthwash won't work to strengthen tooth enamel and combat gum disease unless you brush and floss prior to you using it. Teeth should be cleaned before using mouthwash for best results.

Benefits of mouthwash

1.Helps remove debris -

It brings the advantages of reaching areas a toothbrush can't reach as mouthwash is a liquid. It will help clear debris and loosened plaque from your teeth.

2.Reduce bacteria in the mouth -

Mouthwash can help by reducing the amount of plaque and bacteria trapped in your mouth to prevent gum diseases such as gingivitis.

3. Whiten your teeth -

A whitening mouthwash will not have the same effect as a whitening treatment, but one of the advantages of some whitening mouthwashes is over time they have a bleaching effect.

Negatives of using mouthwash

• Dry mouth -

Alcohol based mouthwashes are something you find in most grocery stores but they can have severe side effects. The alcohol can indeed dry your mouth and lead to bad breath which is probably what you're trying to avoid by starting to use a mouthwash.

• Could raise your blood pressure -

Studies have shown that frequent use of mouthwash may increase blood pressure, as it removes some of the beneficial bacteria present in the mouth.

• Can eliminate good bacteria -

Your mouth contains many different types of bacteria. Some of those are good and of course some are bad. The downside to using mouthwash or an oral rinse is it kills a majority of the bacteria in your mouth.

Precautions when using mouthwash

In general, mouthwash contains high alcohol and fluoride concentrations. The American Dental Association does not recommend mouthwash for children under the age of 6. Adults should try to avoid swallowing large amounts of mouthwash.

If you're getting open sores or oral lesions in your mouth, you may want to consider using mouthwash to kill bacteria and heal quickly. But, if you have recurrent oral lesions, you should speak to one of our dentist before you use an oral rinse in your mouth.