Mouthwash Madness

FewFew

This might sound crazy, and possibly it is... but...

Is mouthwash the sort of thing you need to regularly use if you start using it at all?

I ask because I went without using mouthwash for years. All grand. Few fillings, usual, grand.

Then awhile back I just decided to up my dental regime and use mouthwash daily. I did it until the bottle was empty, and then, not really noticing any major difference, didn't really bother starting again.

Then (relatively quickly) I got a bad case of plaque or tartar (not sure of the difference...the bad one) on one of my teeth.

And it stayed put. I know the smart thing would have been to go to a dentist to get it checked out, but I wasn't happy with my dentist at the time and I'm a terrible procrastinator about such things.

So anyhows, everything stayed status quo and then I started sporadically using a mouthwash.
Now in a short space of time my teeth are in bits and it's now my mission to hunt down a decent dentist in my area.

I'm not asking if mouthwash is harmful for your teeth, but, is it possibly like antibiotics(ish) or alcohol based cleansers where it just kills all the bacteria (including the good ones) and then there's the chance that the balance is interrupted and it allows the bad bacteria to get a foothold?

day dreamer

Hi there

sorry to hear about your recent troubles. Most people dont need to use a mouthwash regularly, it is much more important to mechaniccally clean your teeth with a toothbrush and floss.

A wouthwash is needed by those with braces, high decay rates, controlling gum disease or other conditions that put them at a high risk of dental and gum problems.

The problems you are having, and I am not sure what they are, would most likely not have been prevented by a mouthwash. Plaque is a build up of bacteria on your teeth it looks like white furry stuff you can scrape off. Over time this can harden or calcify into tartar, your dentist or hygienist will have to remove tartar.

i would suggest you have a dental appointment soon to have your problems looked after

FewFew

Right, so that's a no to my crazy theories then. I do enjoy a good theory.

My crazy theory, more clearly, was... can mouthwash have a similar effect to anti-biotics, where the delicate balance of bacteria is disrupted, both good and bad bacteria are destroyed and then stuff like thrush can happen (but in this case I was thinking tartar)

Glad my crazy was a crazy, I can now go back to using mouthwash willy nilly y.

ballsymchugh

mouthwashes don't normally have an effect like that. you'll only get thrush if you've been on meds like steroids (sometimes asthmatics get it as a side effect to the inhaler) or some other drug that changes certain bacteria's action allowing others to take over.

as day dreamer said, you're better off with decent brushing and flossing. just like antibiotics, the bacteria in the mouth are becoming desensitised to mouthwash and instead of rupturing the membranes of them, it'll just flow through/around them. it's called quorum sensing.

some mouthwashes are good for certain conditions, like keeping a socket clean a few days after having a tooth out (not straight after!!). most people use mouthwash instead of mechanically removing the dirt and it does feck all for them, apart from burning the eyes of the people they talk to.

fuelinjection

Mouthwash is full of alcohol ... not good for your teeth really.

Just use toothpaste as mouthwash - same result without the bad effects.
Ignore the adverts ... people have lived a long time without mouthwash .. and will love long after it is gone.
I used it for 2 years but have stopped thank God. The result is my teeth are stronger and my gums are healthier.

ballsymchugh

to be honest, the bad effects aren't bad. it's just the good isn't that good either. excpept in people who have a high rate of decay, eg people who don't have fluoridated water supplies, a fluoride mouthwash would be recommended.
the trick is not to have the high rate of decay in the first place.

the alcohol is what changes the permeablililty of the membranes of the bacteria. it does that to the top layer of cells in your mouth too, so now you can get alcohol free mouthwash.

anyway, not disagreeing with you, cos i still think they're a waste of time.