How Important Is Mouthwash?

Ask any dentist and you’ll hear the same thing: brush with toothpaste and floss your teeth regularly, preferably after every meal. Do that and you’ll give yourself the best chance of keeping your gums healthy and your teeth free of cavities. But what about mouthwash? Millions of Americans finish their morning and evening rituals by swishing a little mouthwash, and it can kill bacteria and protect your gums from gingivitis. So why isn’t it on the required list next to toothbrushes and floss?

The good news is that mouthwashes work and do what they say they can do, or at least the ones that have the ADA seal on them. They can use one several active ingredients to kill bacteria, which means less plaque buildup and fewer cases of bad breath. They can also come with fluoride to strengthen teeth and peroxide chemicals to whiten them. Mouthwashes don’t scrape away plaque or strengthen your gums the way brushing and flossing does, but you can definitely add it to your oral care routine.

The problem is that while brushing and flossing are always a good idea, mouthwashes can have some drawbacks. The biggest problem is that most mouthwashes use alcohol: alcohol helps kill bacteria and you’re not supposed to swallow mouthwash in any case, but it can also dry out your mouth. For most people, that’s just a short-term inconvenience, but someone with dry mouth issues should use a nonalcoholic rinse. Fortunately, those are also easy to find.

Still, a little dry mouth isn’t that bad, and no study has proven beyond a doubt that using a mouthwash comes with any long-term side effects. So the real reason dentists don’t recommend it hand in hand with flossing and brushing is this: flossing and brushing are much more important for oral health. A mouthwash can help, but it’s not nearly as important as the main two ways to clean your teeth.