When paired with daily brushing and flossing, mouthwash completes a proper dental home care routine. Some are for cosmetic purposes only, while others feature antiseptic properties. Below, learn why dentists frequently recommend the product to their patients, as well as the types of mouthwash available. 

What Benefits Can I Expect?

Depending on the product, mouthwash helps reduce tooth decay, gingivitis, and gum disease by removing bacteria, acids, plaque, and food particles. Many people prefer to use mouthwash after brushing and flossing to ensure all particles get dislodged. Mouthwash containing antiseptic ingredients such as chlorhexidine gluconate, hydrogen peroxide, and alcohol kill bacteria, while fluoridated products help fortify enamel against decay.

Mouthwash also reduces halitosis, or bad breath, by killing bacteria. It helps heal canker sores as well by eliminating germs causing the infection.

What Are the Different Types?

Antiseptic mouthwash featuring alcohol, chlorhexidine gluconate, or hydrogen peroxide all kill mouth bacteria. And while chlorhexidine gluconate and hydrogen peroxide play active bacteria-killing roles, alcohol acts as an ingredient diffuser so that other ingredients, such as essential oils, remove bacteria causing tooth decay and gum disease.

Other types of mouthwash include fluoride, natural, and cosmetic options. Fluoride mouthwash helps restore minor enamel erosion and keeps teeth strong in the face of decay, while natural versions use essential oils, saltwater, and other organic ingredients to clean teeth and gums. They are also known as “alcohol-free” mouthwashes. Cosmetic mouthwash simply masks the odor of bad breath instead of killing bacteria, and offers no oral health benefits.

Your dentist will help you determine the best mouthwash for your dental health and go over any side effects associated with the brand, such as dry mouth from alcohol-based products. 

Get mouthwash recommendations from Katz Family Dentistry, P.C. in Webster, NY, and schedule your next exam if it has been over six months since your last visit. This office offers oral surgery in addition to general, pediatric, and cosmetic dentistry solutions, and has over 30 years of experience. Call (585) 671-2340 today to make an appointment or visit the dentist online for a service list.