Posted 5 days ago

Understanding the benefits to using mouthwash.

Went to the dentist today. A assessment to see if they will take me as a NHS patient, which is like gold now, anyway it went mostly well but there's signs of gum disease so the recommendation was go to hygienist then use the little tepe toothpicks in my daily routine, fair enough. Nothing was actually said about mouthwash,so question time :-

1..Is mouthwash actually needed, will a 2 minute electric brush twice daily be sufficient
2..if I do get mouthwash would I need a specific one for gums
3..are mouthwashes with alcohol a bad thing..

TIA

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19th Feb
Anecdotally, I find my mouth doesn't feel clean before bed until I've brushed, flossed and mouthwashed. I only use a cheap fluoride mouthwash but the agitation always seems to dislodge stuff that the brushing and flossing somehow missed.

The strong antibacterial mouthwashes (Corsodyl etc) are very harsh on the mouth and throat whether they contain alcohol or not, and IMO (and in my dentists' view) shouldn't be used too regularly.

YMMV
Author
19th Feb
Awesome thanks, I started using Listerine for gums, it nearly blew my head off, talk about strong, I'll water it down and use it up, but won't be getting it again..
20th Feb
Yeah I second not using mouthwash.

I usually TePe, floss for those bits that I couldn’t TePe, brush teeth and clean tongue.

Haven’t used mouthwash in years and dentist hasn’t said it was needed

I have learnt a few things about my brushing habits that I didn’t know previously.

No need to rinse out toothpaste, spit out as much as you can and the rest is what provides your teeth its protection.

Using an electric toothbrush brush like a manual is a no-no. You should just rest the head on each tooth for a few seconds and that should suffice. Only movement that’s needed is to do the back of the teeth etc
20th Feb
No need to rinse out toothpaste, spit out as much as you can and the rest is what provides your teeth its protection.

With all due respect, this is highly ill-advised. Spitting out toothpaste is correct, BUT not rinsing mouth is NOT sound advice.

Amongst other ingredients, toothpaste contains fluoride, sodium bicarbonate, sodium lauryl sulphate. Fluoride is toxic at high concentrations, and over time it will accumulate in your body. Sodium bicarbonate is used as an abrasive that can erode teeth enamel if left lingering on the teeth. Sodium lauryl sulphate is used as a foaming agent, which can unnecessarily dry the mouth if left to remain without disposing excess toothpaste with water.

Furthermore, swilling the mouth with water will neutralise / rebalance the pH to 7.

I strongly suggest consulting your dentist to confirm my advice.
Author
20th Feb
Thanks guys I might just go without mouthwash, especially Listerine as reading up it looks like it can do more harm than good

I think I will stick to a routine of using the tepe toothpicks and brushing as normal ( may look to change from from Colgate triple action)

Seeing hygienist in a bit so will ask everything, thanks..
21st Feb
Worse thing you can do is brush then use mouth wash , mouth isn’t used for this it’s to be used in-between brushing in the day .

By using mouth wash after brushing your removing all the fluoride off your teeth so you might as well not brush
21st Feb
Some dentists recommend using mouthwash, others say no, my children are confused every time they visit their dentist. Personally I use corsodyl non alcoholic mouthwash once a week and it works a treat, it really helped when I had a tooth removed surgically at hospital in the 90s and I've continued with it ever since. Best to thin it down with water as it can sting if you're not used to it.
20th Feb
Personally, I don't think a mouthwash is needed.

My dentist told me I had early onset of gum disease. At the time I was bleeding a lot and my gums were receding.

After introducing these and these into my daily routine around 5 years ago, and the change from Colgate (50p/£1) to Corsodyl (£3-£4!), the bleeding and gum recession both stopped very quickly.

I only started using an electric toothbrush around 2-3 years later. It's the interdental brushes and the toothpaste that made all the difference. (edited)
20th Feb
Personally, electric toothbrushing only cleans my teeth, having no bearing on dislodging minute food particles that somehow affix themselves within the oral cavity (i.e., within the mouth in general).

I find flossing painful and near impossible, because there are no gap in between my teeth.

Mouthwashing with Colgate Plax without alcohol keeps my oral cavity fresh and healthy. I'm pretty vigorous in swashing the liquid around my mouth for a solid minute, till my buccinator (cheek muscles) feel the pain. The amount of food debris released never ceases to amaze me.

It's best to avoid alcohol-based mouthwash as alcohol is a dehydrator, drying the mouth that can result in halitosis.

Furthermore, after mouthwashing, my spouse loves to give me a deep French kiss.
20th Feb
I brush and water floss. I use mouth wash weekly , I have a bridge and I feel it deals with bacteria underneath it better than just brushing. I use Wisdom that has the same active ingredient as Corsodyl and half the price in Home Bargains. The OH had gum disease and found using this for a couple of weeks helped clear it up. My Dentist also told me to massage my gums to keep them healthy, I find a sonic type tooth brush good for this. Sadly we have moved house and now can't get an NHS dentist and even private ones have a waiting list .
20th Feb
I find Dentyl Mouthwash before brushing really helps.
20th Feb
My dentist stated exactly the same as OP. I purchased a water flosser, I add half a cap of mouthwash to it and then water floss, leave for about 15 minutes then brush teeth with electric brush. Never rinse mouth out. Dentist says it is much better now. Do not feel right if I do not do this on a nightly basis now.
20th Feb
About 18 months ago I found out I had "severe gum disease" caused by type 1 diabetes & receding gums. I've always brushed twice a day. I now see a specialist hygienist every 3 months and there is a big improvement. One thing my hygienist checks every time is that I'm not using mouthwash. She also recommends using standard branded toothpaste (like colgate £1 type stuff - although I'm sure some will not agree with this), and using tepe interdental brushes daily.

FYI the brushes need to be tight. At first there was a lot of blood. Now no blood at all, teeth have improved massively.

It costs me £75 every 3 months for consultation but hopefully it'll save my teeth. (edited)
Author
20th Feb
Been to see hygienist..got some gum mouthwash to use for 2 weeks, but no longer..back in 4 months to see if gums are better..fingers crossed
21st Feb
The hygienist I see recently told me that it's recommended to not use mouthwash (wasn't there some whisperings saying that no-alcohol mouthwash was less dodgy to use? as I have some left) and to brush your teeth and not rinse your mouth.

Years ago I would religiously brush, rinse and then use Listerine.

It's like the butter is bad - butter is good cycle.

Good reminder to buy interdental brushes, actually, as I had pain in one tooth due to this over a week ago (saw the dentist last Thursday!) but it turned out it was just a slight gum infection. (edited)
Author
21st Feb
Yea no alcohol mouthwash was given to me to use for 2 weeks to help with this gum disease, also the tepe toothpicks are what the hygienist recommended, find them not easy to use but needs must and all that
Author
21st Feb
Do people bother with tongue scrapers, they seem to be a thing now
21st Feb
I use one (got a bunch of plastic ones from a pound shop) though the metal ones seem to be more popular now. Easier to sterilise maybe. You can use your toothbrush if you're stuck but maybe some will find that idea a bit rotten!
21st Feb
Ended up buying these interdental brushes as they're various sizes - £6.44 on S&S amazon.co.uk/gp/…5SH