Best Mouthwash?

nigem

I have been reading recently that mouthwash with alcohol can have a possible link to oral cancers, as can binge drinking. If mouthwash containing alcohol is used 2-3 times a day is this likely to have any affect?
Any thoughts please?
Nigem

Toothsmith

Yes - it probably will.

Mouthwash (unless specifically recommended by a dentist/hygienist for a specific condition) is largely pointless anyway.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I use alcohol free stuff - Retardex - on instruction of the dentist (I was encouraged to use Eludril, but I don't drink alcohol, so didn't want to swill it round my mouth if I could avoid it).

I never understood why, if alcohol is proven to increase the risk of oral cancer, why on earth it is put into products that are supposed to promote oral health? It's like putting poison into a vitamin tablet, to me.

OrangeProse

Toothsmith wrote: »

Yes - it probably will.

Mouthwash (unless specifically recommended by a dentist/hygienist for a specific condition) is largely pointless anyway.

That's worth knowing, thanks. I was, until recently, using Dentyl but it was taken off the shelves about three months ago (not sure why, but Boots wrote to me and told me to immediately discard any that I had lying around). I switched to Aquafresh but it is truly horrible - I actually feel like I'm swigging Smint-enhanced whiskey around my mouth.

I think the amount that I spend on mouthwash would probably pay for at least one trip to the dental hygienist per year anyway, so I shall do that instead.

MattLFC

Dentyl PH, alcohol free and very good at cleaning. I started using it about 5 or 6 years on the advice from my dentist. I can't use other mouthwashes because of the amount of stinging they cause on my gums. I also very much like the taste of the cool-mint stuff, reminds me sort of like chocolate mint lol.

It was removed from sale alongside about 12 other brands, due to fears about some enzyme or something like that contaminating the process that was used to produce the brands in a factory (in the quantities it was contaminated with, it was absolutely harmless, you'd have to drink tonnes of bottles to feel any effect, but it was contaminated nevertheless and pulled for safety reasons).

I can't stand any other mouthwash ive tried, can't understand why people are happy to set their gums on fire each morning.

Btw Dentyl PH has been available again for quite a while, albeit they have changed/updated the packaging slightly (made it more attractive imho, retained the same logo and distinctive bottle shape), and atm, it is BOGOF on the 500ml bottles in Tesco. And of course, contamination-free.

A little harmless contamination is nothing worry about when one considers it was a factory problem rather than a product problem, we'd never buy other popular brands like Cadburys if we stopped once there was a problem.

Btw, Boots should have told you to return the product for an RRP refund, as it was recalled by the manufacturer. I had two bottles, and carried on using it throughout the recall, simply because all other mouthwashes can't compare to it.

karmacookie

I use Lidl alchohol free mouthwash with flouride. It contains more flouride than the colgate brand all for the pricely sum of 52p!

Toothsmith

karmacookie wrote: »

I use Lidl alchohol free mouthwash with flouride. It contains more flouride than the colgate brand all for the pricely sum of 52p!

But if you've just brushed your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste, then all the tooth sites that the fluoride sticks to will be full anyway, and you'll just be spitting it all down the sink.

To make the best use of a mouthwash, do it at a completely different time to toothbrushing.

Better still, save the 52p for something useful.

karmacookie

I always use it at a different time to brushing. Very handy for a quick freshen up between brushing when time is limited and I think a very good use of 52p!

Pinkylouloubell

I use the purple coloured Listerine Total Care.
I only buy it when its on special offer as its quite expensive :eek: though.

It gives you whole mouth a fresh squeaky clean feeling.

pandora205

karmacookie wrote: »

I use Lidl alchohol free mouthwash with flouride. It contains more flouride than the colgate brand all for the pricely sum of 52p!

Thanks for this. I have a brace and have been advised to use a fluoride mouthwash once a day. I was paying much more than this so I'll have a look in Lidl.

silverfoxuk

How do Listerine get away with saying on the front of all the packs that using Listerine reduces plaque by 56% more than brushing alone?

On that simple basis/claim I would use it to help further reduce plaque after brushing, but obviosly many dental professionals remain unconvinced that mouthwash or Listerine in particular can actually do what is claimed?