What’s the Deal With Mouthwash?
Ahhh, mouthwash…the magical liquid that replaces brushing and flossing…
Nope, nope nope….Not true at all.
Not…..At…..All…
You’ll just be wasting your money if you don’t do this first:
This is the MOST important thing to understand….
Mouthwash won't even REACH your teeth or gums, where it needs to do its magic if you don't remove the sticky clumps of plaque that are stuck on your teeth first.
The mouthwash will only kill the OUTSIDE LAYER of that blob of plaque… leaving the rest of the mushy live bacteria blob stuck on there to wreak havoc! This is not beneficial. Gum disease, bone disease, and cavities are still sure to come.
You HAVE to remove the majority of that blob with your brushing and flossing FIRST. The mouthwash can then either help kill the little bits of stuff you missed or put that cavity protection layer on your teeth.
Floss, then brush and THEN rinse.
From there, did you know that there are actually TWO different types of mouthwash to choose from?
One type is designed for "anti-cavity" purposes, and the other for "anti-gingivitis."
First, the anti-cavity mouthwashes help by coating your teeth in fluoride or other enamel and dentin strengthening products.
Second, Anti-gingivitis mouthwash works by killing the live, acid oozing bacteria and contains gum healing ingredients to control gum disease.
In other words, one type is used to help prevent GUM DISEASE, and the other type is used to help prevent CAVITIES.
Each and every one of us has a genetic tendency towards one type or the other. Be sure to read the SODA we spilled for you on genetics to learn more about which type you may be!
And therefore, beware… There is absolutely NO reason to get lazy if you’ve “never had a cavity.”
Though you should be proud of yourself for resisting cavities, this very often means that your mouth enemy is GUM and BONE DISEASE instead. Your oral bacteria wants to eat your gums and bone instead of your teeth.
Gingivitis, otherwise known as gum disease, is the battle that you face. Bleeding gums and loose teeth are what you get instead. Be sure to read the SODA we’ve spilled for you on those topics so that you don’t let it happen to you!
If you wish to cover all bases, by using both types of mouthwash…
It’s important to know that these two different types of mouthwash shouldn’t be used at the same time. They’ll counteract each other.
If you’d like to use both, it is recommended that you rinse with the "anti-gingivitis" type in the morning and rinse with the "anti-cavity" type before going to bed.
Or better yet, find our absolute favorite mouthwash in our Product Advice section…ACT Whitening Mouthwash.
This particular mouthwash contains the fluoride needed to help prevent cavities (ACT always nails this). At the same time, the whitening agent they’ve added is hydrogen peroxide. We all know that hydrogen peroxide is great for healing, so this mouthwash aids our gum health, too, all while whitening our teeth at the same time!
You think that’s all! They also included the almighty Xylitol natural sweetener! Xylitol helps slow the formation of plaque and is one of SODA’s favorite ingredients!
WALA, the world’s most complete and perfect mouthwash!!!!!! We hope they never, EVER stop making this one!
All you’ll have to do is get used to the bubbling effect that the peroxide creates in your mouth...It’s sooo worth it.
Companies keep trying to re-invent the mouthwash wheel. The choices can get so overwhelming. To help, here is a breakdown of our SODA favorites. Hopefully, this narrows down the field for you.
*Even MORE details can be found in our Product Advice section, here on the site
1. To prevent gum disease:
The Natural Dentist - Healthy Gums Mouthwash
Thieves, by Young Living essential oil company
or DōTERRA, On Guard mouthwash
Dr. Ginger’s Natural Coconut Oil Mouthwash
2. To help prevent cavities:
Spry Natural Mouthwash with Xylitol
***Look for Xylitol in every dental product that you buy. It’s great for controlling plaque.
***Don’t be fooled by the “tartar control” advertising etc. This generally means that they’ve just added more chemicals. Many, many people react to the tartar control products with peeling gums and sores in their mouth. Choose products with the most natural ingredients that you can. Ingredients that you can read and understand.
*** You may be wondering why you don’t see Listerine on our list? Well, we’ve just noticed over the years that it’s not quite as effective as other options in reducing gingivitis/bleeding gums. The alcohol content also causes many patients’ gums to slough and peel. So, we just decided that we like other options better.
There are a few other types of mouthwash that are designed for more specific dental problems:
1. If you have advanced gum and bone problems (Periodontitis), some dentists provide a prescription mouthwash called Chlorhexidine Gluconate.
You won’t find this one on the shelves. It’s only available from the pharmacist with a prescription, or you can often purchase it from your dental office directly.
Chlorhexidine is WONDERFUL stuff to help with your healing AFTER you brush and floss, but it also can stain your teeth a bit.
The stains are easily removed by your honest dental hygienist, though, so don't focus on the staining. Your dental health is waaaaaaay more important!! You won’t have any teeth left to stain if you don’t get that disease under control!
We have found the staining is decreased if you dip your toothbrush into the mouthwash and BRUSH with it, rather than rinsing with it. Just pour a little into the cap or a side dish, and dip your brush into that. **Don’t dip your brush straight into the bottle, or you will contaminate the whole bottle.
Rinse with some whitening mouthwash (at a different time of day than the Chlorhexidine) to combat the staining. ACT Whitening Mouthwash is again our favorite here.
2. Dry mouth can wreak havoc on your dental health, especially in the form of cavities. Saliva is your cavity-fighting warrior, so without it, it’s rough. Food doesn’t taste the same either.
So, there are some great mouthwash products to help combat dry mouth:
Bioténe with xylitol
and
ACT Dry Mouth Rinse with Xylitol.
**Notice again the keyword, “Xylitol.”
Xylitol is dry mouth’s BEST friend.
Prevident is a prescription fluoride mouthwash (or toothpaste) that can help fight the cavities that occur with dry mouth. Your honest dentist will help you decide if this would be right for you.
3. Peroxyl is a wonderful mouthwash. It’s most useful for helping heal canker sores, orthodontic sores from braces, or any other gum tissue trauma that we are capable of inflicting upon ourselves. Keep it handy, and you will be glad!
4. Warm salt water rinses are also EXCELLENT for healing and soothing the mouth. You can just make this at home with as much salt as you can stand.
And there you have it!
We hope this article helped answer your mouthwash questions. We highly encourage you to check out the mouthwash section of our Product Advice list. Each product has specific information on why we love it and what it’s specifically used for.
Though it would be best if we did, we’ll never claim to know it all, all of the time. Nobody knows it all! We do claim honesty, though, and we sincerely want to help as many people as we can!
Our patients have maintained beautifully, following our conservative recommendations :)
Thanks so much for reading and letting us spill our SODA! Remember to take the time to find your HONEST DENTIST, and be sure to browse around our links and follow us on social media for answers to more of your exciting dental questions, like:
