Is mouthwash harmful to your health?
Dental hygiene is extremely important and people spend a lot of time and money on keeping their teeth and their mouth as healthy as possible. It is widely recognised that twice a day a person should brush their teeth thoroughly and accompany brushing with thorough flossing and a rinse using mouthwash. This process helps people to keep their teeth looking healthy and clean and their breath smelling fresh. Some people believe however that mouthwash can actually be bad for your oral health.
A lot of mouthwashes have a high content of alcohol in them some of which are made up of up to 26 per cent alcohol. The alcohol is in mouthwashes as what is known as a 'carrier-agent'. This means that the alcohol is needed for other ingredients to do the job which they are there for. The alcohol is the carrier-agent for ingredients such as menthol and eucalyptol which are good for breaking down the plaque which accumulates on the surface of teeth.
Alcohol is important in mouthwash so that the ingredients like eucalyptol and menthol can work but it also has negative effects as well. Alcohol breaks down the mucus or saliva which keeps the mouth moist and fresh. Without this the mouth begins to dry out like when a person is dehydrated and the person can then develop bad breath.
There has been a lot of research into mouthwash and it has revealed that mouthwash can also contribute to oral cancer. Mouthwash contains ethanol which when combined with certain cancer causing substances breaks through the lining of the mouth very easily. Substances like nicotine and others are as a result much more of a threat and a person is at a much higher risk of getting oral cancer.
If these issues really do present a real and significant threat then it is likely that mouthwash ingredients will change very soon. In the meantime however it is still a good idea for people to look for a low alcohol or even alcohol free mouthwash to minimise the oral health problems. Smokers who are concerned about the risk of oral cancer should speak to their dentist about what to do.
A lot of mouthwashes have a high content of alcohol in them some of which are made up of up to 26 per cent alcohol. The alcohol is in mouthwashes as what is known as a 'carrier-agent'. This means that the alcohol is needed for other ingredients to do the job which they are there for. The alcohol is the carrier-agent for ingredients such as menthol and eucalyptol which are good for breaking down the plaque which accumulates on the surface of teeth.
Alcohol is important in mouthwash so that the ingredients like eucalyptol and menthol can work but it also has negative effects as well. Alcohol breaks down the mucus or saliva which keeps the mouth moist and fresh. Without this the mouth begins to dry out like when a person is dehydrated and the person can then develop bad breath.
There has been a lot of research into mouthwash and it has revealed that mouthwash can also contribute to oral cancer. Mouthwash contains ethanol which when combined with certain cancer causing substances breaks through the lining of the mouth very easily. Substances like nicotine and others are as a result much more of a threat and a person is at a much higher risk of getting oral cancer.
If these issues really do present a real and significant threat then it is likely that mouthwash ingredients will change very soon. In the meantime however it is still a good idea for people to look for a low alcohol or even alcohol free mouthwash to minimise the oral health problems. Smokers who are concerned about the risk of oral cancer should speak to their dentist about what to do.
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