About

It has been many years since I got married and the question still rages on between my wife and I.  Is mouthwash an important part of your dental hygiene?  To be honest I originally only used mouthwash because it made my breath smell better and I was under the impression that it helped my breath smell good in the morning.  It has been many years and I am pretty sure that it doesn't’ really have that much of an effect on my breath. So I went to look into what dentists say about it and if its really worth the cost and extra time to implement it into my nightly routine.

It turns out that mouthwash does not help bad breath.  In fact halitosis is the main cause of bad breath and the fact that mouthwash does kill the bacteria in your mouth does temporarily help with your breath, it will still not help in the morning. There is also the possibility that bad breath can come from gastroesophageal issues which is much worse than just simply having bad breath.

Knowing it didn’t help with the reason I wanted to use it in the first place I had to know if there were other benefits to it.  It turns out that mouthwash does actually help prevent lots of other mouth issues.  It is a great preventative for gum disease and help eliminate unwanted bacteria which can build up and cause plaque. The best part in my book is that it can build up tooth enamel and actually prevent tooth decay.  I would like to have my teeth long into my old years so this is a big deal to me.

I also learned that brushing your teeth is still very important. Some people use mouthwash as  a brushing alternative and that is simply a mistake.  The plaque and food residue that does build up in your mouth and on your teeth is still in need of physical brushing to help eliminate it. So I still think it is important for me to use it on a daily basis so my teeth can stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. 

There are lots of different kinds of mouth washes and some are better in some areas than others.  It looked like some were antibacterial in nature and were more important for quickly getting rid of bad breath for a bit and killing plaque.  There are also some that provide more fluoride and are better at keeping your teeth and gums from gum disease.  I suggest you ask your healthcare provider which is best for your current situation.