Mouthwash and its implication in day-to-day life

 

                   Mouthwash and its implication

                                                                                                    By- Dr. ANKIT YADAV

            Day-by-day we see lots of advertisements on mouthwash for maintaining good oral health. Is mouthwash alternate to tooth brushing?? Or when we are in hurry we occasionally do. Which mouthwash is suitable for us?? These kinds of thoughts run in our minds when we are going to choose a mouthwash for ourselves. Do We rinse our mouth with mouthwash before or after the brushing??

Types of mouthwash

• Therapeutic mouthwash
• Cosmetic mouthwash

   Cosmetic mouthwash

They cover, mouthwash's that temporarily control bad breath from the mouth and have a pleasant smell from the mouth after using them. They don't have any chemical or biological effect on the mouth flora.  They don't kill the bacteria which is associated with bad breath.

Benefit: -

1.          It temporarily covers bad breath
2.          It gives a mint taste to your mouth and refreshes your breath

Drawback: -

1.             Bacteria still present in the mouth. They just cover its effect temporarily
2.       They don't fight against plaque, gingivitis, and decay-causing bacteria

     Therapeutic mouthwash

These are ideal for daily use after brushing. These are specific for their action. They kill bacteria that are involved in the degradation of oral health. The active ingredients present in mouthwash are: -

• Cetylpyridinium chloride
• Chlorhexidine
• Peroxide
• Essential oils
• Fluoride

Cetylpyridinium chloride: -   it acts  (bacteria that cause foul breath) more on the gram-positive than gram-negative

Chlorhexidine: -it has high antiplaque activity and acts on both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria

Peroxide: - hydrogen peroxide and sodium perborate is in the form of peroxide in mouthwash. They remove the extrinsic stain on teeth by killing bacteria and make them brighter

Essential oils: - these are antibacterial and also give some refreshing effect in the mouthwash. They are present as Eucalyptol, Thymol, oil of wintergreen, and Menthol

Fluoride: - stannous fluoride present as a fluoride agent in the mouthwash. They inhibit the cavity-causing bacteria in the mouth and reduce the plaque formation

Benefits of therapeutic mouthwash

1.  Help in Post-surgery recovery
2.  Reduce bad breath
3.  Remove extrinsic stains
4.  Reduce early teeth degradation by cavity
5.  Preventing complication during pregnancy
6.  Reduce plaque formation on teeth

 Drawbacks of therapeutic mouthwash: -

1.           Staining of teeth due to overuse
2.           Ulceration because of alcohol present in mouthwash

Tip for using mouthwash

Mouthwash helps to rinse in that area on teeth where a toothbrush can't reach. They remove the plaque between the teeth region.

As the toothpaste containing calcium salt.  It inhibits the action of mouthwash if it is done after it.

Rinsing is done after 30-60 min of brushing to avoid the partial effectivity of mouthwash.

Advice: - 1. Rinsing twice daily for 1-3 minutes with 10-15ml.

                2. Avoid eating and drinking for 30 min after rinsing with mouthwash

NUTSHELL: -

      

 Brushing is necessary on a day-to-day basis. Mouthwash use as an aids with brushing but doesn't completely replace it on a day-to-day basis. Don't overuse mouthwash because it contains alcohol in it and there is complication later on

If you are confused about choosing a mouthwash suitable for you then consult your dentist. Regular check-up within six months for maintaining good oral health. prevention is better than cure so, diagnose your disease before it spread to a great amount.