6 Reasons to Use Mouthwash for Oral Health

There are many reasons to use mouthwash for oral health. Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing regularly is a good way to ensure the good oral health, but additional practices like using a quality mouthwash are also beneficial to your oral hygiene.

Here are a few reasons to use mouthwash for oral health:

1. Provides a complete cleaning

Your toothbrush is an effective way to clean the surfaces of your teeth, but it's not as effective when it comes to cleaning the crevices and tight spaces in your mouth. Flossing is a better way to clean those hard-to-reach places, but there are still many places in your mouth that even the thinnest dental floss cannot reach.

Since mouthwash is a liquid, it is able to reach the smallest spaces between your teeth. It dislodges food particles, plaque, and bacteria when you swish it around your mouth.

2. Kills germs that cause tooth decay

Bacteria in your mouth release acids that cause damage to your teeth. An antibacterial mouthwash can be used to kill these microbes. When selecting a mouthwash, look for a rinse that contains chlorhexidine instead of alcohol since the latter is known to dry up the mouth.

3. Promotes healthy gums

The acid released by bacteria in your mouth can lead to your gums becoming inflamed. If not promptly addressed, this inflammation can progress into a severe case of gum disease. When you use a mouthwash with antibacterial properties, you lower the amount of teeth-destroying bacteria in your mouth, reducing your risk of getting gum disease and other infections.

4. Whitens teeth

Certain mouthwashes contain whitening agents like hydrogen peroxide which helps to whiten your teeth. It is worth noting that the effectiveness of these teeth-whitening mouthwashes is nowhere close to that of other readily available teeth whitening solutions like gels and pastes. The most effective way to whiten your teeth is by visiting a dentist for a professional whitening procedure.

5. Freshens breath

Most mouthwashes come with a fresh, minty fragrance like peppermint or cinnamon which freshen your breath. The antibacterial ingredients in mouthwash attack bad-breath-causing bacteria in your mouth, especially on the surface of your tongue. These bacteria release sulfuric substances, leading to foul-smelling breath.

That means mouthwash gives you fresh-smelling breath for longer periods than eating a mint for example. You are not just masking your bad breath with mouthwash, you actually deal with the bacteria that lead to bad breath in the first place.

6. Reduces toothaches

If you are dealing with toothaches associated with cavities, using mouthwash is a good way to alleviate the pain while you wait to see your dentist. That is because the pain associated with these types of toothaches are often due to acid-producing bacteria in your mouth.

It is the acid these bacteria produce that cause the pain associated with cavities. Mouthwash removes this bacteria, reducing the pain. Want to find out more about the reasons to use mouthwash for oral health? Call (949) 303-1307 to schedule an appointment with Arbours Aesthetic Dentistry in our Rancho Santa Margarita dental office.