The Benefits of Mouthwash for Dental Health:
How It Supports Oral Care
(Part 1)
Mouthwash is beneficial for dental health when you make it part of your daily oral and dental maintenance regimen. You also have a multitude of mouthwash or mouth rinse brands to choose from, so you also need to know what the earmarks of mouthwash excellence are.
The Primary Purpose of Mouthwash
The primary purpose of a mouthwash is to kill the majority of bacteria to prevent gum and tooth root infection from plaque formation while leaving behind good bacteria actually needed by the mouth.
This means you should occasionally use mouthwash to get fresher breath and prevent halitosis while regularly flossing and brushing as part of your oral regimen.
It can help prevent gum disease and tooth decay, but it’s still predicated by your dental hygiene regimen. It’s a supplement and not a replacement for brushing teeth.
The Types of Mouthwash to Choose from
There are two types of mouthwash or oral rinses to choose from: therapeutic and cosmetic.
- Cosmetic Mouthwash:
Cosmetic mouthwashes are OTC products that can temporarily help if you’re suffering from bad breath, which is clinically known as halitosis. They need to be applied occasionally to work.
This mouthwash type helps assist your dental brushing
and flossing by rinsing away the dirt, debris, and
bacteria while leaving your breath smelling fresh and
minty.
Although the term “cosmetic” implies that the benefits
of the commercial-grade mouthwash is only skin deep
or temporary, it still packs quite the punch in keeping
bacterial populations low and controlled.
You get halitosis when you neglect brushing and
flossing as well as mouthwash. Cosmetic mouthwash
is mostly there to remove bacteria and mask odor with
minty ingredients.
Some mouthwashes even have fluoride in them that
you need to leave in your mouth for longer than usual
to let them settle into your teeth enamel.
- Therapeutic Mouthwash:
You can avail yourself of therapeutic mouthwash by getting a prescription from your dentist or oral doctor. Then you can buy it at your local drugstore by presenting the prescription.
They differ from “regular” or “commercial” cosmetic mouthwash with their stronger formulation involving concentrated ingredients that fight heavy plaque buildup, prevents cavity formation, reduces halitosis, and boosts your oral cleanliness.
The point of therapeutic mouthwashes, as its name suggests, is therapy or treatment of advanced or worsening halitosis (that’s usually a sign of systemic or deeply rooted oral, dental, gingival, or periodontal diseases).
While cosmetic mouthwashes make your mouth smell and feel fresher with mint and antibacterial properties, therapeutic mouthwashes offer higher-grade oral antibiotic abilities to deal with plaque, tartar, tooth decay, or periodontal disease.
You can also consider specialized antiseptic mouthwash used for dry mouth and mouths that underwent oral surgery as therapeutic mouthwash you can only avail of by prescription.
Therapeutic mouthwashes are much stronger than commercial grade “cosmetic” mouthwash because of their stronger antibacterial formulation to address underlying diseases that the “weaker” brand of mouthwash couldn’t deal with, such as dry mouth.
However, they both have the goal of fighting the buildup of plaque and cavity prevention. One is just stronger than the other and shouldn’t be used unless you’re dealing with an underlying condition.