I recently took a trip to the store in Austin to stock up on some oral hygiene supplies. I was surprised by the shear number of tooth pastes, mouthwash, floss and tooth brushes. Mouthwash I figured is one of the simplest ways to improve your oral hygiene and as a result reduce visits to the dentist. With so many choices and so many hygiene issues which each claim to resolve which one is right for me? My thinking was that anti plaque mouthwash would be the best way to fight the bacteria that causes tooth decay. One of the main ingredients in anti plaque rinse is fluoride. Anti-cavity rinse with fluoride has been proven to reduce the bacteria that causes cavities by 50%. However most over the counter anti plaque mouth rinse only aids with gum disease and tooth decay slightly more than rinsing with water. Most antiseptic mouthwashes do reduce bad breath and freshen breath for hours after use. Prescription-only is the most effective rinse that your dentist can prescribe. These rinses have been proven to reduce the bacteria that causes plaque and tooth decay. Side effects can occur from a prescription mouth rinse. A rinse with alcohol can give a burning sensation in your cheeks and gums. Too much fluoride can cause mouth ulcers, sensitivity to teeth and roots, stained teeth or a change to your taste sensation. Mouth rinse with fluoride is not recommended for children under the age of 6.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 18th, 2010 at 5:16 pm and is filed under Facinating Facts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.