Mouthwashes Could Increase Bad Breath – If Used Incorrectly

I have always been an advocate of mouthwashes to get rid of all the gunk that builds up in our mouths but there is a right way and a wrong way to use mouthwashes. Give your family dentist or dental insurance plan provider a call should you wish to find out more about some of the topics discussed on our blogs.

Many people use mouthwashes in the same way the use breath sprays and mints. They want to avoid the embarrassment of bad breath. The problem is that many of us cannot tell whether we have bad breath or not and rather than encounter that terrible moment when someone tells us our breath smells, we do everything we can to make it smell good.

The American Food and Drug Administration recently conducted tests into the effectiveness of mouthwashes and had some interesting results. Mouthwashes do not stop bad breath, only mask the smell for an hour or two. Mouthwashes in the US can no longer claim to stop bad breath.

Other studies suggested that mouthwashes could actually make a problem with halitosis (bad breath) worse because the alcohol in the mouthwash upsets the bacterial balance in the mouth.
The overuse of mouthwashes kills too many bacteria, which alters the production of saliva in the mouth. The effect is that bacterial can reoccur stronger, which increases the smell.

Mouthwashes are ok to use after brushing and flossing the teeth but not as a breath freshener. If you have a bad breath problem or any other oral health issue contact your dentist a visit to the dentist for a check up. That will usually be all that you need to sort out your problems and prevent this and other periodontal diseases.