Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow to ChooseChlorhexidineFluorideHydrogen PeroxideEssential OilsSalt WaterOther Considerations
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How to Choose
Chlorhexidine
Fluoride
Hydrogen Peroxide
Essential Oils
Salt Water
Other Considerations
The “best"mouthwashis ultimately based on what you need to use it for. A mouthwash can be used as part of your daily oral hygiene routine or to aid with recovery from a mouth sore or injury. Others can help ease mouth pain, stop bleeding gums, or simply freshen your breath. There are even mouthwashes that can help whiten your teeth.
This article looks at five different categories of mouthwash, including some of the more popular brands you can buy. It also offers you tips on how to choose the right mouthwash and factors that may influence your choice.
Cultura RM Exclusive / Janie Airey / Getty Images
Choosing the Best Mouthwash
Before purchasing a mouthwash, there are four things to consider:
Chlorhexidine Mouthwash
Chlorhexidineis an antibacterial used as an active ingredient in certain mouthwash brands. It is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial that exerts strong action against bacteria that causeperiodontitis(gum disease).
Dentists will sometimes prescribe chlorhexidine mouthwash after mouth dental surgery to inhibit the formation of bacteria andplaqueand aid with healing.
Chlorhexidine mouthwash is only intended for short-term use as it can cause yellowish or brownish staining of your teeth and tongue if overused. It can also affect your taste after use, particularly with salty foods.
How to Get Rid of Gingivitis Without a Dentist
Fluoride Mouthwash
Fluoride also has antibacterial properties that not only inhibit the growth of bacteria but prevent them from sticking to your teeth. It can also help reduce bacteria that contribute tohalitosis(bad breath).
Fluoride mouthwash is not meant to replacefluoride toothpaste, but it can support a daily dental hygiene routine. Fluoride rinses with 0.05% fluoride are likely the most effective.
Fluoride mouthwashesshould not be swallowedas they have a potential for toxicity, particularly in small children. Children under 7 years of age should never use them as they are most likely to swallow.
OTC fluoride mouthwash brands include:
Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash
Hydrogen peroxideis an active ingredient in many household cleaning products. It has antimicrobial and disinfecting properties due to its oxidizing effects.
As hydrogen peroxide comes into contact with bacteria, it releases oxygen molecules that create a foaming action that disrupts the cellular wall, killing the microorganism. The same foaming action has a bleaching effect.
For this reason, mouthwashes with a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide are commonly used as an antiseptic to treat mouth sores andgingivitis(a form of gum disease). Those with lower concentrations are commonly used as teeth whiteners. Concentrations of between 1% and 3% are considered safe.
Hydrogen peroxide mouthwashes are not intended for daily use. When overused, hydrogen peroxide can penetrate the tooth root and damage the soft interior of the tooth called thedental pulp. This can lead to tooth sensitivity and pain as well as the swelling of the gums.
OTC mouthwashes containing hydrogen peroxide include:
Essential Oil Mouthwash
On the other hand, several essential oils used in mouthwashes have been shown to exert potent antibacterial effects that may support dental health. These includepeppermint oil,spearmint oil,clove oil,tea tree oil, andeucalyptus oil.
You may be surprised to learn thatListerine, one of the oldest and most popular mouthwash brands, contains four essential oils including eucalyptus and peppermint oil.
Other OTC mouthwash brands containing essential oils are often marketed as “natural” mouthwashes, such as:
Avoid swallowing mouthwashes made with essential oils. Essential oils are not intended for internal use and can be poisonous if consumed in excess. Even small amounts of clove oil have been known to cause seizures in children.
For safety, do not use essential oil mouthwash in younger kids.
Saltwater Mouthwash
A saltwater rinse is commonly recommended after dental extraction. The antibacterial properties may decrease the risk of infections and gum inflammation, such as can occur withdry socket(a complication of tooth extraction).
Warm saltwater is known to help ease sore throats and alleviate mouth sores or ulcers. As it has a low pH, saltwater may also help to treat bad breath. (Bacteria that cause bad breath require a high pH.)
There are several saltwater mouthwashes sold in stores that are isotonic (meaning that they have the same saline concentration as the body). These include:
Saltwater mouthwashes are safe for occasional use. Long-term use can potentially damage tooth enamel and irritate the gums, causing easy bleeding.
Other Considerations When Using Mouthwash
When buying mouthwash, there are several factors to consider:
Role in Dental Health
One common misconception is that mouthwash can remove plaque from your teeth and gums. Swishing a mouthwash may have antibacterial action that can inhibit plaque, but it doesn’t actually remove it. It should never be considered a replacement for dailybrushingandflossing.
How to Get the Most Out of Mouthwash
Alcohol
Alcohol is one of the most common mouthwash ingredients. Many people assume that alcohol kills bacteria, but it isn’t an active ingredient. It simply helps diffuse other active ingredients, like essential oils, and hasn’t proven to be against bacteria that cause gum disease or bad breath.
As a general rule, opt for mouthwash brands that don’t contain alcohol.
Detergents and Preservative
Certain detergents in mouthwash like sodium lauryl sulfate are used to loosen residue that has accumulated on teeth.There may also be preservatives like sodium benzoate that help extend the shelf life of the product.
Summary
Mouthwashes with essential oils and saltwater can be made at home as alternatives to commercial mouthwashes. Saltwater is especially useful in preventing infection after tooth extraction or a mouth injury.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Thangavelu A, Kaspar SS, Kahtirvelu P, Srinivasan B, Srinivasan S, Sundram R.Chlorhexidine: an elixir for periodontics.J Pharm Bioallied Sci.2020 Aug;12(Suppl 1):S57–S59. doi:10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_162_20Marinho VC, Chong LY, Worthington HV, Walsh T.Fluoride mouthrinses for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;7(7):CD002284. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002284.pub2Wilker F, Muniz MG, Cavagni J, et al.A systematic review of the effect of oral rinsing with H2O2 on clinical and microbiological parameters related to plaque, gingivitis, and microbes.Int J Dent.2020;2020:8841722. doi:10.1155/2020/8841722Vaz MM, Lopes LG, Cardoso PC, et al.Inflammatory response of human dental pulp to at-home and in-office tooth bleaching.J Appl Oral Sci. 2016;24(5):509–517. doi:10.1590/1678-775720160137Sindle A, Martin K.Art of prevention: essential oils - natural products not necessarily safe.Int J Womens Dermatol.2021 Jun;7(3):304–308. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.10.013Alsherhri FA.The use of mouthwash containing essential oils (Listerine) to improve oral health: a systematic review.Saudi Dent J.2018 Jan;30(1):2–6. doi:10.1016/j.sdentj.2017.12.004Ballini A, Cantore S, Signorini L, et al.Efficacy of sea salt-based mouthwash and xylitol in improving oral hygiene among adolescent population: a pilot study.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2021 Jan;18(1):44. doi:10.3390/ijerph18010044Ustrell-Borras M, Traboulsi-Garet B, Gay-Escoda C.Alcohol-based mouthwash as a risk factor of oral cancer: a systematic review.Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal.2020 Jan;25(1):e1–e12. doi:10.4317/medoral.23085University of Queensland.What is sodium lauryl sulfate and is it safe to use?Aerts O, Goossen A.Contact allergy to preservatives. In:Contact Dermatitis. New York NY: Springer; 2021. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-36335-2_85
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Thangavelu A, Kaspar SS, Kahtirvelu P, Srinivasan B, Srinivasan S, Sundram R.Chlorhexidine: an elixir for periodontics.J Pharm Bioallied Sci.2020 Aug;12(Suppl 1):S57–S59. doi:10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_162_20Marinho VC, Chong LY, Worthington HV, Walsh T.Fluoride mouthrinses for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;7(7):CD002284. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002284.pub2Wilker F, Muniz MG, Cavagni J, et al.A systematic review of the effect of oral rinsing with H2O2 on clinical and microbiological parameters related to plaque, gingivitis, and microbes.Int J Dent.2020;2020:8841722. doi:10.1155/2020/8841722Vaz MM, Lopes LG, Cardoso PC, et al.Inflammatory response of human dental pulp to at-home and in-office tooth bleaching.J Appl Oral Sci. 2016;24(5):509–517. doi:10.1590/1678-775720160137Sindle A, Martin K.Art of prevention: essential oils - natural products not necessarily safe.Int J Womens Dermatol.2021 Jun;7(3):304–308. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.10.013Alsherhri FA.The use of mouthwash containing essential oils (Listerine) to improve oral health: a systematic review.Saudi Dent J.2018 Jan;30(1):2–6. doi:10.1016/j.sdentj.2017.12.004Ballini A, Cantore S, Signorini L, et al.Efficacy of sea salt-based mouthwash and xylitol in improving oral hygiene among adolescent population: a pilot study.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2021 Jan;18(1):44. doi:10.3390/ijerph18010044Ustrell-Borras M, Traboulsi-Garet B, Gay-Escoda C.Alcohol-based mouthwash as a risk factor of oral cancer: a systematic review.Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal.2020 Jan;25(1):e1–e12. doi:10.4317/medoral.23085University of Queensland.What is sodium lauryl sulfate and is it safe to use?Aerts O, Goossen A.Contact allergy to preservatives. In:Contact Dermatitis. New York NY: Springer; 2021. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-36335-2_85
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Thangavelu A, Kaspar SS, Kahtirvelu P, Srinivasan B, Srinivasan S, Sundram R.Chlorhexidine: an elixir for periodontics.J Pharm Bioallied Sci.2020 Aug;12(Suppl 1):S57–S59. doi:10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_162_20Marinho VC, Chong LY, Worthington HV, Walsh T.Fluoride mouthrinses for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;7(7):CD002284. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002284.pub2Wilker F, Muniz MG, Cavagni J, et al.A systematic review of the effect of oral rinsing with H2O2 on clinical and microbiological parameters related to plaque, gingivitis, and microbes.Int J Dent.2020;2020:8841722. doi:10.1155/2020/8841722Vaz MM, Lopes LG, Cardoso PC, et al.Inflammatory response of human dental pulp to at-home and in-office tooth bleaching.J Appl Oral Sci. 2016;24(5):509–517. doi:10.1590/1678-775720160137Sindle A, Martin K.Art of prevention: essential oils - natural products not necessarily safe.Int J Womens Dermatol.2021 Jun;7(3):304–308. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.10.013Alsherhri FA.The use of mouthwash containing essential oils (Listerine) to improve oral health: a systematic review.Saudi Dent J.2018 Jan;30(1):2–6. doi:10.1016/j.sdentj.2017.12.004Ballini A, Cantore S, Signorini L, et al.Efficacy of sea salt-based mouthwash and xylitol in improving oral hygiene among adolescent population: a pilot study.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2021 Jan;18(1):44. doi:10.3390/ijerph18010044Ustrell-Borras M, Traboulsi-Garet B, Gay-Escoda C.Alcohol-based mouthwash as a risk factor of oral cancer: a systematic review.Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal.2020 Jan;25(1):e1–e12. doi:10.4317/medoral.23085University of Queensland.What is sodium lauryl sulfate and is it safe to use?Aerts O, Goossen A.Contact allergy to preservatives. In:Contact Dermatitis. New York NY: Springer; 2021. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-36335-2_85
Thangavelu A, Kaspar SS, Kahtirvelu P, Srinivasan B, Srinivasan S, Sundram R.Chlorhexidine: an elixir for periodontics.J Pharm Bioallied Sci.2020 Aug;12(Suppl 1):S57–S59. doi:10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_162_20
Marinho VC, Chong LY, Worthington HV, Walsh T.Fluoride mouthrinses for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;7(7):CD002284. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002284.pub2
Wilker F, Muniz MG, Cavagni J, et al.A systematic review of the effect of oral rinsing with H2O2 on clinical and microbiological parameters related to plaque, gingivitis, and microbes.Int J Dent.2020;2020:8841722. doi:10.1155/2020/8841722
Vaz MM, Lopes LG, Cardoso PC, et al.Inflammatory response of human dental pulp to at-home and in-office tooth bleaching.J Appl Oral Sci. 2016;24(5):509–517. doi:10.1590/1678-775720160137
Sindle A, Martin K.Art of prevention: essential oils - natural products not necessarily safe.Int J Womens Dermatol.2021 Jun;7(3):304–308. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.10.013
Alsherhri FA.The use of mouthwash containing essential oils (Listerine) to improve oral health: a systematic review.Saudi Dent J.2018 Jan;30(1):2–6. doi:10.1016/j.sdentj.2017.12.004
Ballini A, Cantore S, Signorini L, et al.Efficacy of sea salt-based mouthwash and xylitol in improving oral hygiene among adolescent population: a pilot study.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2021 Jan;18(1):44. doi:10.3390/ijerph18010044
Ustrell-Borras M, Traboulsi-Garet B, Gay-Escoda C.Alcohol-based mouthwash as a risk factor of oral cancer: a systematic review.Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal.2020 Jan;25(1):e1–e12. doi:10.4317/medoral.23085
University of Queensland.What is sodium lauryl sulfate and is it safe to use?
Aerts O, Goossen A.Contact allergy to preservatives. In:Contact Dermatitis. New York NY: Springer; 2021. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-36335-2_85
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