Mouthwash, use or avoid?

Saltour Sossiez

I spoke to a couple of doctors recently and they both advised against using mouthwash.
They said it kills the good bacteria in your mouth aswell as the bad.

Also, I think at least one of them said something that is contained in mouthwash can lead to mouth cancer.
I don't remember my dentist telling me not to use it and I think he may have even recommended it to me in the past.

So, I would just like to get some opinions from dentists or dental students on mouthwash. Do you recommend using it or should it be avoided?

Thanks

ballsymchugh

Saltour Sossiez wrote: »

I spoke to a couple of doctors recently and they both advised against using mouthwash.
They said it kills the good bacteria in your mouth aswell as the bad.

Also, I think at least one of them said something that is contained in mouthwash can lead to mouth cancer.
I don't remember my dentist telling me not to use it and I think he may have even recommended it to me in the past.

So, I would just like to get some opinions from dentists or dental students on mouthwash. Do you recommend using it or should it be avoided?

Thanks

ya what??!!
if it could, it wouldn't be on sale. most people use mouthwash as a way to get out of not brushing properly, so it still won't work. you're better off brushing right. but some mouthwashes are needed by some people.

r3nu4l

Most mouthwashes contain high percentages of alcohol. Alcohol is a contributor to mouth cancer. So, in theory a mouthwash could lead to mouth cancer in those who are genetically pre-disposed but I haven't yet read a paper that proves the link. EDIT: For more, see here

Mouthwashes will kill a lot of the good bacteria in your mouth, this is true. These are mostly lactobacilli but they do recover.

On the whole, mouthwash is a part of good oral hygiene and should be a part of your regular routine along with brushing and flossing. My own opinion (I'm a scientist, not a dentist) is that mouthwash is not necessary every single day if you are brushing and flossing properly but I'm sure some of the dentists here can tell you more.


/Aside.
By the way, there are plenty of things on sale that contain cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens)...regular washing-up liquid is one. Also most shower gels and shampoos etc contain a detergent that damage the skin barrier but they're all on sale. It's the dose of these things that is important but for many chemicals we don't know the long-term cumulative effects on our health.

ballsymchugh

the plaque on teeth gathers in structures called biofilm. there's research by rupp, stoodley and wilson (i can't find the exact link) that shows that the biofilm is able to detect changes in ph, gather in a way that the outer bacteria protect the inner ones, communicate with each other (quorom sensing) so the effect of mouthwash has become seriously diminished over the years. the only way to disrupt the biofilm is to break it down with a toothbrush and floss. the mouthwash will very likely just wash over it.

and as r3nu4l said, there's much more that can cause cancer. add sunlight to the list.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

ballsymchugh wrote: »

the plaque on teeth gathers in structures called biofilm. there's research by rupp, stoodley and wilson (i can't find the exact link) that shows that the biofilm is able to detect changes in ph, gather in a way that the outer bacteria protect the inner ones, communicate with each other (quorom sensing) so the effect of mouthwash has become seriously diminished over the years. the only way to disrupt the biofilm is to break it down with a toothbrush and floss. the mouthwash will very likely just wash over it.

and as r3nu4l said, there's much more that can cause cancer. add sunlight to the list.

ballsy I give you 9/10 for that, you lost a mark for not referencing properly

Seriously though, there are plenty of non alcohol mouthwashes, thats what I would use. Brush, floss, mouthwash in that order twice a day. I don't like the idea of rinsing out with up to 40% alcohol twice a day, alcohol is not carcinogenic in the classic way but it does make the mucous membranes more permeable to other carcinogens. I have no references to back me up.

piby

Just make sure to use one with a no alcohol eg. Dentyl PH

Big_G

Alcohol is not a proven carcinogen. However, it does alter the permeability of the oral mucosa, making it more susceptible to the effects of carcinogens, thus working synergistically with carcinogens to increase the likelihood of developing a neoplasia (cancer).

Alcohol in mouthwash has a negligible effect on oral microflora, as alcohol only kills bacteria when it evaporates, which it may never fully do in the mouth.

It is mainly used as a solvent for other active ingredients in mouthwashes that may not be water soluble. It also gives 'bite' to mouthwash that some people may feel is making their mouth feel clean.

qwerty21

I personally dont recommend it to patients. It cant infiltrate the plaque biofilm. Research shows that in order for antibiotics to kill the bacteria, you would have to increase the dose by 1500 times, therefore probably killing the patient before you would kill the bacteria!! (Elder MJ, Stapelton F, Evans E, DartJK. Biofilm-related infections in ophthalmology
Eye 1995;9(Pt. 1):102-109) If antibiotics cant do it, i have no faith in a mouthwash!!

btkm8unsl0w5r4

qwerty21 wrote: »

I personally dont recommend it to patients. It cant infiltrate the plaque biofilm. Research shows that in order for antibiotics to kill the bacteria, you would have to increase the dose by 1500 times, therefore probably killing the patient before you would kill the bacteria!! (Elder MJ, Stapelton F, Evans E, DartJK. Biofilm-related infections in ophthalmology
Eye 1995;9(Pt. 1):102-109) If antibiotics cant do it, i have no faith in a mouthwash!!

The idea with mouthwash is that brushing and flossing had already disrupted the biofilm, the mouthwash kils and washes away whats left afterwards, adjunct not replacement for brushing. Certainly research shows that mouthwash reduces to bacterial load in the plaque but as you corretly said an intact biofilm is pretty impervious to it.

Only brush and floss the teeth you want to keep.

click_here!!!

About the risk of cancer from mouthwash:
To put this risk in perspective, if I take a mouthful of (very high alcohol) wine/beer/etc a day and spit it out after 30 seconds, am I at the same risk of cancer as using alcohol-based mouthwash?

Surely if that is the case, you should be looking at your overall alcohol consumption habits. Also, alcohol drink consumption can cause obesity and anti-social behavior in high quantities. I don't see mouthwash doing the same!

mitsuko045

Is it true about certain mouth washes staining your teeth?
Also rinsing your mouth out with warm salty water just as effective as other mouth washes?

Oral Surgeon

mitsuko045 wrote: »

Is it true about certain mouth washes staining your teeth?
Also rinsing your mouth out with warm salty water just as effective as other mouth washes?

Yes, corsodyl/kin rinses can cause stain (strictly speaking- the rinse puts a layer on the tooth that allows stain from tea/coffee/red wine/ smokes to stick more) used with a good gap from eating/ smoking 2-3 times daily post operatively for a week or so should cause no significant problems.

Warm salty water is real old wives stuff but yes it works really well for post operative wounds/ some wisdom tooth infections, not really for day to day use though...

OS