{"id":6693,"date":"2025-05-23T21:33:45","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T18:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/?p=6693"},"modified":"2025-06-29T18:08:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T15:08:34","slug":"select-right-mouthwash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/select-right-mouthwash\/","title":{"rendered":"How do we select the right mouthwash?"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\"><\/style><p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-6638 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/stomatika-dialymata.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"499\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/stomatika-dialymata.jpg 1225w, https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/stomatika-dialymata-300x135.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/stomatika-dialymata-768x345.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/stomatika-dialymata-1024x460.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/stomatika-dialymata-580x260.jpg 580w, https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/stomatika-dialymata-860x386.jpg 860w, https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/stomatika-dialymata-1160x521.jpg 1160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 499px) 100vw, 499px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; color: #999999;\"><span style=\"color: #3366ff; font-size: 10pt;\">Mouthwashes <\/span>fall into two basic categories: cosmetic and therapeutic.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; color: #999999;\">Cosmetic mouthwashes may temporarily control bad breath and leave behind a pleasant taste, but have no chemical or biological application beyond their temporary benefit.\u00a0 For example, if a product doesn\u2019t kill bacteria associated with bad breath, then its benefit is considered to be solely cosmetic.\u00a0 Therapeutic mouthwashes, by contrast, have active ingredients intended to help control or reduce conditions like bad breath, gingivitis, plaque and tooth decay.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Active ingredients that may be used in therapeutic mouthwashes may include:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: disc;\">\n<li><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; color: #999999;\">cetylpyridinium chloride;<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; color: #999999;\">chlorhexidine;<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; color: #999999;\">essential oils;<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; color: #999999;\">fluoride;<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; color: #999999;\">peroxide.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; color: #999999;\">Alcohol<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #999999;\">Cetylpyridinium chl<\/span>oride may be added to reduce bad breath.\u00a0Chlorhexidine and essential oils(eg. thymol, eucalyptol and menthol together with methyl salicylate) are used to help control plaque and gingivitis.\u00a0Fluoride is a proven agent in helping to prevent decay.\u00a0Peroxide is present in several whitening mouthwashes.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>Some marketed mouthrinses contain alcohol which helps to dissolve certain oils like eucalyptol, menthol, methyl salicylate and thymol which provide the anti-bacterial effect that reduces cavities and fights gum disease.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>But alcohol can cause an initial burning sensation, unpleasant taste and bouts of dryness in the mouth \u00a0A review by the American Dental Association concluded that people at risk for oral cancer &#8212; including those who smoke, have a family history of the disease, or have an intolerance for alcohol &#8212; should avoid mouthwashes containing alcohol.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>Also people who are experiencing xerostomia (dry mouth), an otherwise low saliva flow due to certain medicinal side effects, radiation therapies or systemic diseases such as Sjogren&#8217;s syndrome or diabetes, can all benefit from using alcohol free mouthwashes.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>The alcohol free mouthwash is particularly beneficial for people who have a history of alcohol abuse as well.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>Chlorhexidine-containing mouthwashes are one of the most commonly prescribed oral antiseptics.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Mouthwashes containing 0.2 per cent chlorhexidine are normally prescribed to be used in 10\u201315ml amounts for about 30 seconds, twice daily, for two weeks to one month.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Common side effects of this rinse include tooth discoloration, tartar buildup, and altered taste.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">It has been reported that 0.12 per cent chlorhexidine mouthwashes produce relatively fewer side effects.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Some mouthwashes may be intended for managing specific conditions, such as xerostomia.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\"> Xerostomia is the reduction in the amount of saliva bathing the oral mucous membranes.\u00a0 Since the lack of saliva increases the risk of caries, a fluoride-containing mouthwash may be helpful to those managing this problem.\u00a0 However, since alcohol can be drying, it may be prudent to recommend an alcohol-free mouthwash.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #999999; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Mouthwashes may also be used to manage dentine hypersensitivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Finally, tooth-whitening mouthwashes have become popular. Users of tooth-whitening mouthwashes should be aware of the possible side effects, including tooth sensitivity and gum irritation.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Mouthwash is not recommended for children younger than 6 years of age.\u00a0 Swallowing reflexes may not be well developed in children this young, and they may swallow large amounts of the mouthwash, which can trigger adverse events like nausea, vomiting, and intoxication.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #999999;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;\">Using a mouthwash does not take the place of optimal brushing and flossing.\u00a0 So remember every day to use your toothbrush and dental floss.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mouthwashes fall into two basic categories: cosmetic and therapeutic. Cosmetic mouthwashes may temporarily control bad breath and leave behind a pleasant taste, but have no chemical or biological application beyond their temporary benefit.\u00a0 For example, if a product doesn\u2019t kill bacteria associated with bad breath, then its benefit is considered to be solely cosmetic.\u00a0 Therapeutic&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6638,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"Mouthwashes fall into two basic categories: cosmetic and therapeutic.","_seopress_titles_desc":"Choose the right Mouthwash.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[155],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dental-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6693"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7619,"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6693\/revisions\/7619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.athens-dental.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}