Mouthwashes

[cjoseph90]

Im not talking about the usual common onés like listerine or colgate that you can buy in most stores. I wanted to buy one without alcohol but are on the more expensive side of the scale. But spending like €9/10+ on mouthwash, im a bit hesitant. Anyone think theyre worth It/ not really Make much of a difference?

[Michael569]

Its an interesting question that can be answered in a few ways. Do you want a long answer or a summarised one? 

[cjoseph90]

@Michael569 Well i respect your opinión so i'll go for long answer, as youre knowledgable on these type of subjects. Alwsys intrested in what you have to say

Sorry tagged wrong person but not letting me delete It for some reason

Edited July 10, 2024 by Michael569

[Michael569]

I went down this rabbit hole couple years ago on dental health and how it connects to systemic health. 

Looking at the mouthwashes, we know that they help.

They reduce the risk of periodontitis (chronic inflammation of the gums) which is a major trigger of periodontal disease (receding gums, infection, loss of teeth, appearance of pockets etc) . Older people who loose teeth are more likely to develop frailty and diseases linked to malnutrition but also dementia for some reason so dental health is one of those things that we start appreciating only when we have issues. 

We also know that poor dental health increases risk of pneumonia, infective endocarditis, diabetes and potentially Alzheimer's , possibly through malnutrition or infection crossing BBB) 

So going back, for most people who have moderate to mediocre dental hygiene they are important and highly recommended. Also for those who eat a lot of bakery products, sugar, processed food, low fibre diet and generally have a poorer quality of lifestyle, they are highly recommended because the benefits far outweigh the potential costs. 

It is only once we start entering the realm of people who actually take very good care of their oral health (brushing, flossing, tongue scraping, water pick, regular hygienist) that mouth washes may, in some people, potentially cause harm. There is some evidence that alcohol-containing mouthwashes may increase the risk of oral cancer although the risk is really really low, I think like 1-3% increase in low users vs high users. I contacted one of the leading researchers on this topic some time ago and wanted to interview him but never heard back. 

When it comes to alcohol-free mouthwashes they seem to be safer yet there is some concern about a harm to oral microbiota. This hasn't really been confirmed because it is incredibly difficult to study this but everything marketed as "antibacterial" immediately raises a potential concern. You want some bacteria in your mouth and in fact they are the essential first line of your oral / gastrointestinal immune system. Same as tonsils. So regularly using antibacts might be helpful in minimising the risk of periodontitis but in people where that risk is extremely low due to great hygiene the risk of damaging oral flora may slowly start outweighing that benefit. 

So I'd say if your dental health is great, you don't suffer form frequent infections, inflammations , pains, bleeding etc I might consider something like probiotic mouthwashes instead. There is one or two studies showing they are effective for bad breath and for chronic infection. Whether they work the similar way that gastrointestinal probiotics do, is still too early to say although I haven't looked at the literature for 3 years so there might be more new stuff there. Some people also gurgle with green tea? I used to do that but I don't know if it works or not. 

Most important things when it comes to dental care: 

• (necessary) regular hygienist and dentist checkup 
• (necessary) flossing (manual & water pick if possible) 
• (necessary) electric toothbrush seems superior to manual 
• (probably useful)  tongue scraping 
• (maybe useful) probiotic mouthwashes 

Edited July 10, 2024 by Michael569

[cjoseph90]

Wow thanks for taling the time to write all of that, i would say generally i have good oral hygiene and look after teeth, use electric toothbrush, waterpick and floss. appreciate your input

[Princess Arabia]

I never use mainstream mouthwashes. I make my own depending on what I have on hand.

Cloves - pour water over clove powder stir and use. Can also use clove essential oil. (1-2 drops in warm water.

Tea tree essential oil - couple drops in warm water. Any EO will do that is suitable for this process.

Apple Cider Vinegar- small amount with water. Rinse well before brushing as the vinegar can erode teeth but not enough for this process and if done sparingly. 

Baking soda - same as acv.

Lemon/lime  juice - same process. Add water. 

Himalayan/Celtics salt - add water

Haven't been to a dentist in over 20yrs. No need to. No toothache or bad breath in over 20yrs. As a teenager while using mainstream shit I needed the dentist once and had toothaches and needed a back tooth pulled from cavities and filings.

Ever since I changed to homemade stuff never had to visit dentist for any reason. Been 20yrs. No complications needed. I use natural toothpastes also.

P.S. cloves is king.

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2024 by Princess Arabia

[Princess Arabia]

3 hours ago, Lila9 said:

I also believe in natural mouthwashes and I tried everything that you wrote expect the clove which I will try someday too. Each of those worked perfect for me. Currently I am using baking soda with 1-2 drops of neem oil. Cocount oil is also amazing as a mouth wash. 

Yes, coconut oil is great for oral hygiene. Oil pulling is a great way to cleanse the mouth, but it takes some time. I add it to my homemade toothpaste. Neem is also, I buy a neem toothpaste from the health food store. I believe I posted a pic in the healthy food/products section. Clove is excellent for tooth care. Even helps to ease toothaches. The taste is also magnificent. 

[cjoseph90]

6 hours ago, Princess Arabia said:

Yes, coconut oil is great for oral hygiene. Oil pulling is a great way to cleanse the mouth, but it takes some time. I add it to my homemade toothpaste. Neem is also, I buy a neem toothpaste from the health food store. I believe I posted a pic in the healthy food/products section. Clove is excellent for tooth care. Even helps to ease toothaches. The taste is also magnificent. 

thanks for your input, will have to try the clove one. never heard of neem before.

[Princess Arabia]

4 hours ago, cjoseph90 said:

thanks for your input, will have to try the clove one. never heard of neem before.