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The ABC of mouth wash

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From peppermint-flavoured to reduced-alcohol variations, mouthwashes are becoming increasingly popular as people brush up on good oral hygiene. And, yes, mouth rinses can be very effective if you know how to use them.

Brushing and flossing properly are great ways to remove plaque and food particles from your teeth and gums, but these preventative measures only stunt the daily plaque build-up temporarily. The many types of bacteria that create plaque are always present in your mouth.

Read: Keep your smile healthy

Saliva helps to regulate their numbers, but using an effective mouth wash after brushing and flossing can also help keep them in check.

Mouthwashes help to:

•    Kill bad bacteria in areas of the mouth where a toothbrush and floss can’t reach
•    Reduce the chance of gum infections
•    Strengthen teeth
•    Freshen your breath

Choose your mouthwash

Common ingredients found in mouth washes include water, alcohol, cleansing agents, and flavouring and colouring agents. There are three types of mouth washes, namely antiseptic, plaque-inhibiting, and preventive products. Note, however, most mouth washes offer a range of overlapping benefits.

Antiseptic mouth wash: A chlorhexidine-containing mouthwash with a concentration of 0.2% is one of the most commonly prescribed antiseptics in oral healthcare. This mouthwash has long been considered to be the gold standard among oral antiseptic mouthwashes. It effectively combats bacteria, spores and fungi.

Plaque-inhibiting mouth wash: These products usually contain a variety of active ingredients ranging from antimicrobials (for example, cetylpyridinium chloride) to prevent bacteria adhering to tooth surfaces (for example, the amine alcohol delmopinol hydrochloride), to essential oils (for example, thymol, eucalyptol, and menthol together with methyl salicylate). The active ingredients help to fight the plaque biofilm at different stages of colonisation, helping to control the onset and progression of gum disease, and stunting tooth decay. Plus, they help to make your breath smell fresh.

Preventive mouth wash: The most widely used preventative mouth washes contain fluoride to help stop tooth decay and, in some cases, aid the reversal of early lesions of tooth decay. These products may be prescribed for people aged eight years and older who are at high risk of developing dental caries. People at high risk of dental decay include those with frequent sugar intake or xerostomia, or those undergoing orthodontic treatment, such as fixed braces, which may compromise oral hygiene. A dentist may also prescribe this mouth rinse, especially during recuperation from oral surgery or where normal plaque control is difficult.

It’s also worthwhile to remember that some mouth rinses contain a significant amount – up to 27% volume – of alcohol. Alcohol has an antibacterial effect, acts as a carrier of flavour, and gives that telltale “zing” to a mouth rinse.

Read: Bad breath

There has been some concern about the alcohol in mouth rinses and a possible link to cancer, but this association hasn’t been established with good scientific research. A science brief issued in 2009 by the American Dental Association states that “studies published to date looking at alcohol-containing mouth rinses and oral cancer have neither established nor refuted a causal relationship between the use of these products and the development of oral cancer”.

If you’re concerned, you can opt for an alcohol-free mouth wash. Some research suggests that they are as effective as their alcohol-containing counterparts.

So, depending on your immediate oral hygiene needs, the above information should guide you in choosing the most effective mouthwash.

But note, if you have to constantly use a mouth rinse to hide unpleasant mouth odour (halitosis), it’s probably advisable to consult your dentist to identify the underlying cause.

Read More:

Your oral health affects your child

Sweet tooth

How to look after your teeth

Image: Woman preparing to use mouth wash from Shutterstock

Sources:

Oral-B, Mayo Clinic

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