Home » Blog » The benefits and harms of mouthwash and everything we know about it
Dentists always recommend that, in addition to brushing and flossing, we must also use mouthwashes for oral and dental hygiene. But it should be seen what the benefits and harm are and how to use them correctly.
Mouthwashes have excellent effectiveness in eliminating and removing oral and dental microbes and improving the health of the gums. But keep in mind that mouthwashes are not a substitute for brushing or flossing, and they can only be used to help disinfect and improve the condition of the gums.
The best time to use mouthwash is before or after brushing your teeth, and it is always recommended to rinse your mouth several times with clean water after you swish it around in your mouth. Also, a round of brushing (without toothpaste) after removing the mouthwash will be helpful.
Never use more than the recommended amount of mouthwash during each use. The optimal amount for mouthwashes containing fluoride is 10 cc per wash. After that, keep the mouthwash in your mouth for about 30 seconds and rotate it around the entire circumference of your mouth so that it contacts the entire surface of the teeth and gums.
Keep in mind that if you use toothpaste with high fluoride, you will need to be more careful when using mouthwash. Although we do not swallow toothpaste and mouthwash, unconsciously, some of each of these two oral and dental hygiene materials will sink into the throat and fluoride has the power of poisoning. Therefore, it is necessary to be careful in using mouthwash.
Note: Keep in mind that excessive and excessive use of mouthwash can lead to the loss of teeth color, and especially mouthwashes that contain chlorhexidine should not be used for people who have orthodontics. Continuous use of mouthwashes will cause fungal infections, especially Candida albicans, by disrupting the natural microflora of the mouth, so continuous use is not recommended.
The benefits of using mouthwashes can be summarized in the following:
Teeth whitening: If your teeth have accumulated a lot of mass and have an unpleasant color, you should go for bleaching and ask your dentist to whiten them. But these materials will also help to whiten the teeth to some extent. The presence of hydrogen peroxide in the mouthwash will remove the surface darkness of the teeth and give them more shine.
Intestinal inflammation: As you probably know, some bacteria are among the beneficial bacteria and their presence in the human body is necessary. Unfortunately, mouthwashes destroy all the bacteria in the mouth and provide the basis for intestinal inflammation in this way. In fact, the bacteria that entered the mouth through food and were transferred from there to the intestine, are reduced by using mouthwash and cause problems related to intestinal diseases.
Increase in blood pressure: Similarly, removing these good bacteria can lead to an increase in blood pressure. Especially removing bacteria that produce nitric oxide will increase blood pressure.
Increased risk of mouth and tongue cancer: If your mouthwash contains large amounts of alcohol, there is a risk of dry mouth and this can increase the risk of mouth and tongue cancer to some extent. Of course, this risk is never very high and it will be effective only in people who have the background, with a small percentage.
Mouthwashes are a combination of water, fluoride, alcohol, preservatives, cleaning agents and usually flavoring essences. These compounds are suitable for disinfecting and cleaning the oral cavity, but the correct method of their use must be followed.
If you have questions about how to use mouthwash correctly or if you are looking for the right type of mouthwash, you can consult your dentist in Canada.