Don't Use Mouthwash Regularly

brook2jack

Many many mouthwashes make bad breath worse as they contain alcohol and alcohol dries the mouth out so saliva can't wash away and neutralise the causes of bad breath.

Chewing chewing gum stimulates saliva and is far more effective and healthy.

98% of mouthwashes are classified as cosmetic ie they have no clinical benefit and in fact the way most people use them makes oral health worse as they wash away and interact with toothpaste, dry the mouth out and are used as a substitute for proper cleaning with floss and or instrumental brushes.

KxMx

I'd agree with not using a mouthwash unless needed (i'm currently doing a course of Corsodyl to treat gum disease and as an added defence against bacteria as I have a wisdom tooth developing), but in general had some very bad experiences with Dentists in the past so I don't blindly follow their advice.

The gum disease btw is not poor hygiene but seems to be related to my ongoing undiagnosed health problems.

custardy

donnac2558 wrote: »

Guilty! I use the Boots own brand sensitive stuff, before I clean my teeth and don't rinse the toothpaste out afterwards. I just worry about my breath smelling( I have stood talking to others who brush etc and then get a whiff of bad breath from them), the wash makes you breath feel really fresh.

When I use up my two bottles I will try without.

Flossing is the answer
Follow your routine and then floss with interdental brushes
brushing alone doesnt clean your teeth. you will see/feel the difference

peachyprice

I use mouthwash regularly, especially the ones containing alcohol. It keeps the glass that the toothbrushes stand in nice and clean & fresh.

PlutoinCapricorn

I have found that using coconut oil first thing has the best results: it seems to make teeth slippery so food can't attach to them.

A drop of clove oil in water is good for swilling too.

Mint leaves are another possibility: you chew them.

brook2jack

In the case of corsodyl you should be following your dentists instruction. Long term use (more than a few days) of corsodyl causes staining , there are growing concerns about developing bacterial resistance to chlorhexidine (the active ingredient) and growing problems of allergy to chlorhexidine.

In addition your health problems that affect your gums must be quite serious so you should be following advice about hygiene and cleaning regimes from your dentist as these are far more important than mouthwash.

geri1965_2

I'm going to throw mine away now! I was only using it because my temporary filling fell out and I was worried about getting an infection. I've had my permanent filling done now anyway.

Does anyone know why it says on the bottle not to dilute it? I found it a bit strong undiluted.

KxMx

brook2jack wrote: »

In the case of corsodyl you should be following your dentists instruction. Long term use (more than a few days) of corsodyl causes staining , there are growing concerns about developing bacterial resistance to chlorhexidine (the active ingredient) and growing problems of allergy to chlorhexidine.

In addition your health problems that affect your gums must be quite serious so you should be following advice about hygiene and cleaning regimes from your dentist as these are far more important than mouthwash.

I've managed to reach the age of (nearly) 27 without so much as a single cavity, so I really don't need instructing on dental hygiene, but thank you anyway.

brook2jack

Actually good oral hygiene is not so important in preventing decay, diet is. Many people with excellent oral hygiene have many fillings because of a high sugar diet. Ditto many people with gum disease have few or no fillings because their diet is excellent but cleaning and other factors e.g. smoking not so. Indeed gum disease not decay is the number one reason for people in the UK to lose teeth.Good oral hygiene is important in preventing gum disease which you said you have.
Even in people who are severely immunocompromised or are more prone to gum disease e.g. diabetics the first line of defence is physically removing plaque rather than mouthwash or other medicaments. 70% of the public do not brush correctly, less than 30% floss regularly and few do so correctly.

brook2jack

The other reason to take your dentists advice is that many health problems cause mouth symptoms which can be mistaken for gum infections. E.g. crohns, coeliac disease can give mouth ulcers,sore mouth, various vitamin deficiencies can manifest as sore mouth ,toungue or cracks in the corner of the mouth, betchets syndrome, pemphigoid, epidermolysis bullosa can present as sore gums. There are hundreds of different diseases diagnosed by looking in the mouth many of which can be mistaken for gum disease.

Particularly if you have health problems it is important to see and take advice from a dentist rather than trust in mouthwash.