All Mouthwashes are NOT Created Equal

There are a countless variety of mouthwashes and mouth rinses commercially available to today’s consumer, each touting their own lists of benefits to the consumer. Besides trying all of them, how can a consumer find out which is most effective?

Many commercially available mouthwashes only mask breath odor for a short time, and don’t do a very good job at killing the germs that cause bad breath, if they kill any at all. Even the ones that claim to have anti-septic properties don’t often kill the germs that “hide” under plaque and mucus. This failure to kill these tricky microbes allows them to grow back faster and stronger.

Many commercial mouthwashes also contain alcohol as their active ingredient to kill germs or to enhance flavor. As anyone whose ever had a hangover from alcohol knows, alcohol brings about dehydration, which leads to dry mouth, a leading CAUSE of mouth odor. These mouthwashes should also be avoided by people who are undergoing treatment for alcohol abuse, or who are currently in recovery from alcoholism.

For any mouthwash to work effectively, it needs to balance two functions: eliminating the bacteria that cause bad breath, but still maintaining the natural growth of bacteria. It’s a tough balancing act, but there’s a few ingredients to look for that perform this function.

A number of studies indicate that mouth rinses that contain the ingredient Chlorhexidine are the most effective at killing the microbial culprits responsible for bad breath. Other effective ingredients found were cetylpyridinium chloride, Triclosan, quaternary ammonium compounds, benzalkonium chloride hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate41, zinc salts. All of these showed a significant reduction of the microbial load of the tongue and saliva.

A study conducted by Dr. Erika DeBoever touts the effectiveness of chlorhexidine rinses, in combination with something people don’t normally consider, brushing one’s teeth and tongue with mouth rinse after regular brushing. Dr. DeBowever found that people who brushed their tongues and rinsed before going to bed, and after breakfast reduced foul breath odor. The subjects brushed their teeth with whatever toothpaste they wanted. They then dipped their brushes in a mouthwash with 0.12 percent chlorhexidine gluconate, and rinsed for 60 seconds with the same rinse. The usual suspects in the bad breath line up were all significantly reduced.

Even so, chlorhexidine rinses can sometimes be too much of a good thing. Chlorhexidine rinses are very strong and most dentists don’t suggest using them as long-term solutions. They can discolor the teeth and tongue for a short period of time, when treatment first starts. Also, one study showed that after long term use, chlorhexidine disturbed the balance of microbes in the mouth, causing some bad ones to eventually flourish.

So, when used carefully, chlorhexidine rinses can be effective in reducing bad breath, but the question of how best to use it is best answered by your dentist or ear nose and throat specialist.