415-333-3919Keeping your smile healthy and strong means brushing and flossing daily and seeing your dentist for professionals exams and cleanings twice a year. But did you know that mouthwashes can boost your oral care, in addition to brushing and flossing? Incorporating a mouthwash can work with your toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental flossing tool to address any oral conditions you have, such as dry mouth or bad breath. Let’s look at some ways a therapeutic mouthwash can help you overcome dental issues.
Dental Issue: Bad Breath
Find a mouthwash that has antimicrobials, like chlorhexidine, chlorine dioxide, cetylpyridinium chloride, and essential oils (for example, eucalyptol, menthol, thymol, and methyl salicylate) which actively kills oral bacteria that gives you bad breath.
Dental Issue: Plaque and Gingivitis
Find an oral rinse with antimicrobial agents such as cetylpyridinium, chlorhexidine, and essential oils (particularly eucalyptol, menthol, thymol, and methyl salicylate) to help lower plaque in the mouth and lessens gingivitis along with your daily brushing and flossing daily.
Dental Issue: Tooth Decay
Find a mouth rinse with fluoride which helps remineralize tooth enamel and lessens the risk of tooth decay–particularly in children-when used regularly.
Dental Issue: Dry Socket
This painful condition can arise after a dental surgery procedure such as tooth extraction, especially a wisdom tooth extraction. Lessen your chances of dry socket after an extraction by employing an oral rinse that has chlorhexidine gluconate in it.
Dental Issue: Xerostomia
Dry mouth is another name for this condition. This is the reduction of saliva which normally bathes your oral mucous membranes in protective enzymes. To help, find a mouthwash with fluoride in it. Just make sure to avoid rinses with alcohol as they are drying.
Whenever you are looking for dental products, make sure they carry the ADA seal of approval on the packaging to ensure their safety and effectiveness. We also recommend checking with our dentist when looking for dental products. If you have any questions about your oral care, Dr. Peter Karsant, is here to help. We invite you to call Karsant Dentistry in San Francisco, California, at 415-333-3919 today!