The Truth About Mouthwash – Reviews by South Charlotte Dentist

It is an age-old lesson. When we were kids, our mothers always told us to brush our teeth twice a day and rinse with mouthwash. And since we trust our mothers, this is what we have done for years, maybe even decades. What if our mothers were wrong? What if rinsing with mouthwash actually has hidden dangers to it? Sounds crazy, right? Well, it is actually true.

Our entire body, especially inside the mouth, functions on a balance of good and bad bacteria. Having a healthy balance of bacteria in your mouth helps lessen your chance of getting sick, it regulates your blood pressure, and it keeps you from contracting certain diseases; using mouthwash can upset that balance. How does this even happen? If all of this is true then why did our mothers tell us to use mouthwash so often?

Mouthwash contains a chemical mixture called chlorhexidine, also known as chlorhexidine gluconate. This mixture is a disinfectant and antiseptic that is used for disinfecting the skin before surgery and then to sterilize surgical instruments. Sounds pretty powerful, right?

When used in mouthwash, this chemical compound can destroy the good bacteria in your mouth, not just the bad stuff. For example, good bacteria is used to produce nitric oxide, which is naturally made by your body and is important for many aspects of your health. One of its most important functions is that it helps relax the muscles of your blood vessels to help them widen to increase blood circulation as necessary. However, since mouthwash eliminates that bacteria, your body is not able to produce as much nitric oxide as it normally should, which can eventually put you at risk for hypertension and even Alzheimer’s disease.

So, you want fresher breath, but now you are afraid to use store-bought mouthwash? There are some natural options out there that are much safer for your mouth. Instead of deleting mouthwash from your daily routine, try a different option:

• Oral Essentials is a mouth rinse made with Dead Sea salt, which is rich in minerals. This rinse was actually made by dentists to help aid in remineralization and reduce stress levels.

• Auromere is a mouthwash that was created using ancient medical practices. It is made with neem, which is known as the “Indian toothbrush tree.”

• Make your own! Homemade mouth rinses are a great alternative and you get to control what goes into them. Ask your dentist for their professional opinion before trying anything.

Mouthwash is not the only thing that our mothers falsely promoted; there are other habits that we have been conditioned to believe are healthy that can actually have negative effects on our overall health. 

• Brushing after you eat. Growing up, our parents always told us to brush our teeth after breakfast or dinner. Now that we have matured more, our morning routine might naturally consist of grabbing our toothbrush immediately after breakfast. While developing a regular brushing routine is great, running to brush too quickly can actually cause more trouble. Some foods, like oranges, can weaken the enamel on your teeth, so when you brush right away, your teeth are taking a harder hit. Brushing too forcefully at times like this can even remove that protective enamel! In the future, it is good to wait at least 30 minutes before brushing your teeth.

• Chewing on ice. When you were young, your parents probably let you have a snow cone, or if you have ever had surgery, they probably gave you ice chips to munch on, but those crunchy, cold cubes are not good snacks! Even though ice is free of calories and sugar and can help cool you down, the stiffness of the ice can cause damage to your teeth when it is chewed. This happens by causing cracks and fractures in the enamel on your teeth. Also, if you have fillings, crowns or any other restorations, it can crack those, too.

• Exercising without dental protection. When you go to the gym, what is the first thing you grab to take with you? It likely is not a mouth guard or retainer, but it should be, especially if you are participating in a high-impact sport, such as hockey, martial arts or football. When there is a risk of physical contact, you should always wear mouth protection, no matter how dorky it might look. Not wearing is mouth guard often results in teeth chipping or being knocked completely out! Not only is that unappealing, but that kind of serious damage can take a lot of work and money to repair correctly.

Author: Morgan Evans