Probably only attributed to the amount of alcohol in the Mouthwash. A strong spirit would probably do the same thing.
My teeth might not be the whitest of all time, but I've yet to have any fillings. Just whatever fluoride toothpaste twice daily does the trick. About the only time I've used mouthwash was when I had a wisdom tooth removed and was advised to use Corsodyl to keep my mouth a bit more sterile than usual, tasted godawful too.
Thanks everyone - seems general consensus is not to bother. Regards to flossing what was the whole hoohaa paper about flossing not actually being beneficial? I think i'll get a better toothbrush.
Flossing is beneficial as food inbetween your teeth can cause plaque to build up. But saying that, a decent toothbrush should be enough to take care of it. I do floss, but I also don't use an electric toothbrush (never got on with them).
The hygienist I go to reckons that brushing alone won't get rid of all/enough food stuck between the teeth and so flossing daily is necessary. Getting your teeth cleaned professionally is something I would recommend to everyone. It feels good when finished and gets rid of plaque build up that you can't do yourself.
Heh. Well, believe what you want, but my father can have bad halitosis if he doesn't keep on top of it and it is very unpleasant to smell. He uses a medically supplied mouthwash though - not you run of the mill stuff. Personally, I just have a good scrub for ~2 minutes once in the morning with some supermarket's own brand toothpaste about 1/2 an hour after breakfast before setting out during the week - at the weekends, I don't brush my teeth at all. The result? My dentist says I have some of the healthiest teeth he's seen and barely has to do anything (a minute's scraping tops) at my yearly check ups. Mind you, I could just be lucky with my genetics. I used to have a friend who brushed his teeth several times a day and was always having teeth problems.
Oh man, having them professionally cleaned is a lovely experience. Kind of like getting your haircut or being shaved, it just feels nicer when an expert does it. Bad breath can be a real symptom of things like periodontal disease, which there isn't a single documented study that proves commercial mouthwashes actually help with chronic bad breath in the long term. Many dentists advise against 'commercial' mouthwashes as they contain both Cetylpyridinium chloride and chlorhexidine, which can stain the teeth. The alcohol can be good for killing germs though, although swishing about just a strong alcohol would do a similar job and contain none of the chemicals in mouthwashes. As for the fluoride to help with tooth decay, toothpaste should do a good enough if not better job. I have no idea about medicinal mouthwashes, they probably contain oxidisers or something similar. I didn't know that you can be prescribed a mouthwash.
Where does the idea that alcohol is a good thing for oral health come from? Ignoring the tenuous links between alcohol and cancer, mainly because it is a tenuous link, high concentrations of alcohol can damage the tissue in your month (causing ulcers), and it dries out the mouth, something that's not good for oral health.
It kills bacteria, which I don't know enough about oral health to know if bacteria are even harmful in your mouth.
Yea i was thinking more about it today, could it be because they use alcohol in those swabs they use before an injection and before they cut you open for an operation, speaking from a bacterial sense I'm pretty sure it kills bacteria. What has me questioning it is my dentists saying to avoid alcohol based MW as it dries the mouth and when you have a dry month, like when sleeping, that it provides an ideal breeding ground for plaque and the bad bacteria. And the other thing that has me questioning using high concentrations of alcohol in the mouth is me thinking the skin in the mouth in more sensitive, although that's just a guess, i know one thing for sure, i would put neat alcohol on my private parts, , so i ain't gonna be putting it in my mouth.
People with red hair don't actually have it. It definitely is. Gingivitis can be caused by a bacterial build up around the tooth and gums.
I've used hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash in the past. I get pretty bad tonsil stones and H2O2 helps to remove them and to kill any bugs that lurk in the back of my throat. It's definitely a "nuke all" approach more than regular mouthwash, but it's otherwise harmless. The thing about fluoride toothpastes and mouthwashes is that the fluoride benefits only work if you wash but don't rinse. Since I particularly hate the taste of all toothpastes and mouthwashes that's never going to happen with me. But H2O2, I'll do that when I feel the tonsil stone induced halitosis is getting out of control, and the result isn't good smelling breath, it's an odorless breath. It's pretty awesome.
