A recent trip to the store in Dallas to stock up on some oral hygiene supplies revealed an overwhelming number of tooth pastes, mouthwash, floss and tooth brushes. My thinking was that mouthwash is one of the easiest ways to increase the effectiveness of my brushing and in turn reduce dental visits. Which one is right for me with so many varieties to choose from and so many hygiene issues each claim to solve? I have always thought that anti plaque mouthwash would be the best way to go to fight the bacteria that causes cavities. One of the main ingredients in anti plaque rinse is fluoride. After some research I found that anti-cavity rinse with fluoride has been proven to reduce the bacteria that causes cavities by 50 percent. However most over the counter anti plaque mouthwash only helps slightly more than rinsing with water. Most antiseptic mouthwashes do curb bad breath and freshen breath for up to 3 hours after use. The most effective mouthwash is a prescription rinse that your dentist can prescribe. These rinses are proven to reduce the bacteria that causes plaque. There can be side effects from a prescription mouth rinse. Rinse with alcohol can cause a burning sensation in your cheeks and gums. Too much fluoride can cause mouth ulcers, stained teeth or a change to your taste sensation and sensitivity to teeth and roots.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 4th, 2010 at 9:23 pm and is filed under Facinating Facts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.