Mouthwash not always necessary?

Fusspot

Well after a visit to my dentist today and asking his views on mouthwash he said its not necessary to use it and it doesn't do anything for you apart from make your breath smell fresh. Prior to this I was advised by my hygienist to use Cordsyl Daily twice per day, yet prior to this the other hygienist who worked there before told me not to use the daily one but to use the strong Cordysl only when my gums are sore and just brush inbetween. So who is right? I am prone to gum disease and need to have clean and polish every three months at the dentist. I know you can't give dental/medical advice on here but am just asking about the mouthwash issue, is it really necessary or can I save myself some pennies?

Toothsmith

The way to beat gum disease is with time and care with a toothbrush, and interdental brushes. Physically getting all the plaque off all the surfaces of all the teeth.

Occasionally, specifically recommended mouthwashes for specific periods of time might help with an acute problem, so be advised by your dentist/hygienist there

But by and large, for everyday use, mouthwash is pretty useless and distracts from the really important job, which is brushing well.

AnnieO1234

For me, if I don't use listerine (other brands available but don't work for me) I just find my teeth get fuzzy no matter why I've eaten/drank. So for me, I use it morning and night. I also find I don't get morning breath if I use it at night.

Maybe that's just the chemical make up of my mouth though so I can't say it works for everyone. What I would say though is that if it didn't work I'm sure the advertisers couldn't get away with some of their claims.

Xxx

coffeehound

I don't know the answer but do use mouthwash at least at night since I don't floss and hope the mouthwash helps.

One nugget of info to pass on is that the strong medical mouthwashes like Corsodyl that contain chlorhexidine stain the teeth after prolonged use.

brook2jack

90% of all mouthwashes are classed as cosmetics ie there is no clinical benefit from using them . Not only this but mouthwashes interact with toothpaste so if you use one within an hour of brushing you negate both the toothpaste and mouthwash.

Many mouthwashes will make the problems such as bad breath worse as they dry out the mouth.

If you do not floss or use tepe brushes you are not cleaning 40% of your teeth and unless you physically remove the crud you are not doing any good health wise as mouthwash cannot penetrate through a nice thick layer of gunk.

The only effective mouthwash is one that contains chlorhexidine and should be only used short term on advice from a professional as there is a growing problem with bacteria developing resistance and more and more people are developing allergies to it , which has caused fatalities.

Unless you have been prescribed mouthwash save your pennies and oral health, don't use it. Invest in floss or tepe brushes which have excellent clinical and scientific evidence to prove their efficacy.

terra_ferma

Fusspot wrote: »

Well after a visit to my dentist today and asking his views on mouthwash he said its not necessary to use it and it doesn't do anything for you apart from make your breath smell fresh. Prior to this I was advised by my hygienist to use Cordsyl Daily twice per day, yet prior to this the other hygienist who worked there before told me not to use the daily one but to use the strong Cordysl only when my gums are sore and just brush in between. So who is right? I am prone to gum disease and need to have clean and polish every three months at the dentist. I know you can't give dental/medical advice on here but am just asking about the mouthwash issue, is it really necessary or can I save myself some pennies?

I have the same problem. Corsodyl Daily is useless, don't waste money it's just like all the others but it benefits from the name imo
The proper Corsodyl is a powerful antibacterial liquid, but it has some serious side effect if used regularly. A few years ago when I first starting visiting the dentist after a few years of neglect my doctor prescribed it to me and I found that it helped (but I can't say how much as it was part of a whole regime).
The real different to me was using an electric toothbrush (don't need an expensive one, all Oral B, except the cheapest ones, have the same performance, the most expensive one are just a waste of money), much more than using any mouth wash. Also using interdental brushes has been very helpful (colgate ones are my fav, cheaper on ebay).
I still keep Corsody and use it occasionally to disinfect my mouth if I have a lot of bleeding after using the interdental brush, but not very often (the cheapest when I looked was Superdrugs own brand).
If you decide you want to use Corsodyl every day please check the side effects before you make your mind up, just google them.