Mouthwash Price Variation

Chomeur

Boots on Saturday were selling 500ml Colgate mouthwash for around £3.25, their own brand for £1.80 and their value brand for 50p. This seems a huge price variation for what I suspect is probably quite a simple product. Is there really much difference in effectiveness between the different brands?

brook2jack

Most people do not need mouthwash. Furthermore 90% of mouthwash is cosmetic only , it has no clinical benefit.

Add to that using mouthwash within one hour of brushing teeth is a problem because it interacts with the ingredients in toothpaste stopping it's effectiveness and washes away the fluoride (you should spit not rinse after brushing.

So unless you have been prescribed mouthwash to use for a specific problem don't use it, it's a masterpiece of marketing over clinical research.

Cheaper mouthwashes tend to have a higher alcohol content and be more acidic therefore damaging to teeth.

Save money just use toothpaste. Mouthwashdies out the mouth, can actively damage teeth and most are classified as cosmetic because they have no clinical benefit.

sarahlaurie100

Wilkies can be cheaper for mouthwash

Saturnalia

It's reassuring to hear a dentist who is anti-mouthwash! I don't use it as it brings my mouth out in ulcers, but I've had a hard time from every dentist about not using it.

I don't see what mouthwash can do that a good toothbrushing regime can't, but again it is good to have a dentist confirm that!

SailorSam

I use Morrisons own mouthwash, their own toothpaste as well both are the cheapest i've found. The mouthwash is just a quick squish to make my mouth feel fresher.

brook2jack

The quick swish though removes all the fluoride that toothpaste, spitting but not rinsing , has deposited on your teeth. Not only has the mouthwash no health benefit you have also removed any benefit the toothpaste has!

Saturnalia many people get ulcers from mouthwash due to the thymol or other flavourings. These flavourings are put in so people "feel" that the mouthwash is doing something.

There are a couple of mouthwashes that have some clinical use. Most for short term use only and none should be used within an hour of toothbrushing

maman

Saturnalia wrote: »

It's reassuring to hear a dentist who is anti-mouthwash! I don't use it as it brings my mouth out in ulcers, but I've had a hard time from every dentist about not using it.

I don't see what mouthwash can do that a good toothbrushing regime can't, but again it is good to have a dentist confirm that!

I agree completely but buy it for my DH as he likes the fresh feel it gives him!

I'm interested that Morrisons still has own brand at 50p. For ages, I bought Lidl or Aldi at 49p and then it disappeared. At that time Sainsbury was about the cheapest but now own brand back in Aldi but at 59p I think. Like all things, it pays to shop around.

brook2jack

Or not buy it at all!

Many people buy mouthwash to freshen their breath. The irony is that many ,particularly the cheaper brands, contain high levels of alcohol. This dries out the mouth and is MORE likely to give you bad breath. Also the ingredients in mouthwash interact with toothpaste so if you use mouthwash just after brushing you are getting rid of the protective properties of toothpaste. Remember spit don't rinse with toothpaste.

coldstreamalways

Brook, I also detest mouthwash. Patients genuinely believe that it's good for them and use it instead of toothpaste!!

Total waste of money, this is my top MSE tip of all time. Don't waste your money on mouthwash!

Toothsmith

I have posted many times that I think all 'everyday' mouthwashes should be tipped into the ocean - apart from the harm they'd do to marine life!

There are one or two decent ones that have their place if specifically recommended by a dentist or hygienist for a specific problem for a specific time. Or specific fluoride mouthwashes if someone is particularly 'at risk' of decay.

But for anyone else - the greatest moneysaving tip is don't use them. Buy a decent toothpaste that has 1250 or above ppm of fluoride and use like Brook said - don't rinse after using it.

Time with a toothbrush (and interdentals) is what cleans teeth, not some liquid you woosh around.

eilidh_s

I work at sea and we have to keep a mouthwash like corsodyl in our medical locker. The fact that we have to keep it as a medicine put me right of using mouthwash. The last boyfriend that I had that used mouthwash always had really minty but very dry kisses. He used to mouthwash after brush, which was after every meal/mouth action. Caught him doing it after a kiss once, beginning of the end!