Mouthwash can do more than just stop bad breath. It can deliver an extra dose of fluoride, whiten teeth and kill bacteria in the mouth. Some products promise to help prevent plaque and gum disease.
The germ-killing action makes mouthwash especially popular, but there’s concern it may also have unintended health consequences for the body, like higher blood pressure. So should you use mouthwash and which type is healthiest? Here’s what the experts say: No, mouthwash is not necessary for good oral health, say Dr. Tricia Quartey, a dentist in New York and consumer advisor spokesperson for the American Dental Association; and Dr.
David Okano, a periodontist and assistant professor at the University of Utah School of Dentistry. Mouthwash is also not a replacement for brushing and flossing, both emphasize. “Can it help? Maybe a little bit.
Can it be detrimental? Yes,” Okano tells TODAY.com. One advantage is that mouthwash can reach places a toothbrush might not, so rinsing with a product that contains fluoride can be beneficial, Quartey notes.
Antiseptic mouthwash can fight plaque — the sticky film of bacteria on teeth — but only above the gum line, Okano notes. It can fight the early stages of gingivitis, or gum inflammation, but not the later stages of periodontal disease, which involve bone loss caused by plaque below the gum line, he adds. “These mouth rinses can’t make claims against the plaque or the germs that occur in the (gum) pockets,” Okano says.
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