It smells fantastic, comes in cool colors, and just looks nice on your bathroom countertop. It just screams, “My mouth is clean!” But, does it actually help clean your mouth? We’ll dive into the answers in this article.
The Skinny on Mouthwash
While it’s definitely not a substitute for brushing and flossing your teeth, mouthwash can help kill the bacteria in your mouth that cause tooth decay. Mouthwash also helps wash away bacteria in places you might have missed and freshens the tongue, gums, palate and insides of your cheeks. Although, medicated additives are what makes some mouthwashes super cool.
Medicated Mouthwashes
The medicated additives included in many mouthwashes can help treat a variety of issues like dry mouth, halitosis, dry sockets, or even tooth sensitivity. This is where adding a mouthwash to your daily routine becomes more of a help than a nice addition. Some mouthwashes even have additives to help directly fight gingivitis and other bacterias that contribute to gum disease and inflammation.
Great All-Natural Mouthwashes
While over-the-counter mouthwashes provide the materials to fight tooth decay and bacteria directly, there are natural mouthwashes that work well in other circumstances.
Salt Water Mouthwashes
While gargling salt water does little for your teeth, it can help sooth a sore throat. Salt water rinses also help keep your mouth clean from infection if you’ve just had an oral surgery, have canker sores, or lost a tooth.
Essential Oils
While an essential oil based toothpaste needs to have fluoride to be effective in fighting against tooth decay, essential oils used as a mouthwash actually work well. If you’re using antimicrobial oils like tea tree and myrrh, you’ll concoct a mouthwash that is a great infection killer and sore throat soother. Here’s an awesome essential oil mouthwash recipe recommended by Colgate.
Eating Parsley
Due to its high chlorophyll content, parsley does a great job at deodorizing bad breath. While it may not be the most effective solution on the market, it can be the freshest, most organic, and natural solution to bad breath.
Damaging All-Natural Mouthwashes
Apple Cider Vinegar
Regularly drinking or swishing apple cider vinegar may do more harm than good. The nature of the vinegar is extremely acidic, so it’ll actually damage your enamel. If you must drink it, using a straw, diluting it with water, and swishing your mouth with water afterwards can help minimize the damage to your teeth.
Oil Pulling
Swishing coconut oil is not as effective as you’d think. While it is trending to be a great solution for detoxing your mouth, it doesn’t pull any toxins out nor does it kill any bacteria. Only your liver and kidneys detoxify your body and blood, so you’ll need to remove your plaque with a toothbrush and floss.
