Almost all dentists worldwide recommend brushing and flossing their teeth to maintain a healthy oral condition. Nevertheless, several speculations have been found regarding the use of mouthwash as a part of daily dental hygiene. Does using mouthwash as part of your regular oral hygiene practice help keep your mouth clean? If so, then how often should you use mouthwash? Is it OK to use mouthwash every day?
Mouthwash is a liquid used to rinse your mouth, teeth, and gums. Typically, it includes some percentage of alcohol and sometimes even some antiseptic properties to eliminate the harmful germs that might reside between your teeth and tongue.
Most people use mouthwash to fight halitosis and cleanse any remaining bacterial accumulation. Listerine total care is one of the most popular OTC mouthwashes available in the market. You may also use an antimicrobial mouthwash like Chlorhexidine to fight bacteria and prevent severe gum diseases.
How often should I use Listerine mouthwash?
There is no doubt that Listerine is one of the top mouthwash brands, but you must be thinking, how often should I use Listerine mouthwash?
Only a dentist can recommend the frequency of using a mouthwash depending on your oral health condition. No mouthwashes should be used more than twice a day, as overusing mouthwash for a prolonged time may include some side effects.
Furthermore, if you are using Listerine mouthwash, you must know this is an alcohol-based mouthwash that can cause more harm than good if misused. The alcohol content can irritate the mouth's soft tissues and cause dry mouth, tooth staining, etc.
No matter how often you use your mouthwash, it can never be considered a substitute for brushing or flossing.
To maintain optimal oral hygiene, an electric toothbrush yields the best result within 2 minutes of the brushing cycle. Among the best smart toothbrush brands available in the market, Oclean is one of the leading brands that offer premium oral cleaning.
What is the right way to use mouthwash?
Nevertheless, before anything, you must know that incorrectly using your mouthwash several times a day cannot yield the best result. So you must ensure you are using it correctly, which can significantly improve your oral health. Consult with your dentist and follow the process described below to experience the best results:
- Brush and floss your teeth
As dentists say, brushing your teeth with a sonic electric toothbrush and flossing with an oral irrigator are the keys to maintaining a healthy oral condition, and no mouthwash will be able to replace that. So first, grab your electric toothbrush and start brushing your teeth. Make sure you don't miss a corner.
As the next step, start flossing to eradicate any remaining food particles or bacterial accumulation to ensure optimal cleaning. Finally, you are now ready to rinse your mouth with a mouthwash.
But wait! Did you use a Flouride-infused toothbrush?
If you have been using fluoride-based toothpaste, you must wait until a few hours before using mouthwash. This is because rinsing your mouth immediately after brushing may wash away the concentrated fluoride in toothpaste left on your teeth.
- The right amount
Once ready to rinse your mouth, pour the mouthwash into a measuring cup provided with the product. It is advised never to overpour the liquid and use only the recommended amount, usually between 3 and 5 teaspoons, for best results. There's no reason to consider that using a large cup of mouthwash can do the best job. Overusing a mouthwash may lead to severe side effects like dry mouth, teeth staining, canker sores, etc.
- Ready, steady, rinse
Now is the fun time you start rinsing your mouth to ensure optimal cleaning. Make sure to swish and gargle the liquid throughout your mouth for at least 30 seconds to get the full effect. Once done, spit out the mouthwash, and you are good to go.
But that still raises the question, "Is using mouthwash once a day enough?"
Is it OK to use mouthwash every day?
It is OK to use your mouthwash once or twice every day, especially if you are using a fluoride one. Fluoride-based mouthwashes help prevent gum diseases and restore weakened tooth enamel. Using mouthwash the right way can do wonders! Nevertheless, the result you receive by brushing your teeth with an electric toothbrush is uncomparable, so rinsing can never be used as a substitute for brushing.
Should you use mouthwash every time you brush?
Dentists usually recommend brushing teeth twice a day with a smart toothbrush. So it is OK if you plan to use mouthwash twice daily each time after you brush your teeth.
However, according to some dentists, using mouthwash immediately after you brush your teeth is not a great idea; instead, choosing anytime in between can do good. No matter what time you decide to rinse your mouth, ensure you are not using it more than twice daily.
Is it OK to overuse mouthwash?
No, it is not a great idea to overuse any mouthwash, be it an alcohol-based or medicated one with antimicrobial properties.
Alcohol has a drying effect, absorbing moisture from your mouth, resulting in conditions like dry mouth, canker sores, or other infections. While fluoride-containing mouthwashes can also be harmful if used excessively. Fluoride is necessary for tooth health, but overusing fluoride can harm your oral and dental health.
If you are skeptical about using the right amount of mouthwash, you must consult your dentist and never skip brushing your teeth with your favorite Oclean smart electric toothbrush.
Benefits Of using mouthwash
Mouthwash can help prevent plaque, gingivitis, periodontal diseases, and most importantly, bad breath. Rinsing your mouth with a mouthwash alone can do no good to your oral health, but it can aid your oral health if paired with brushing with an electric toothbrush.
Now that you have all your answers to the most commonly asked question like how often should you use mouthwash, or Is using mouthwash once a day enough, start practicing a healthy dental regime from today.
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*Cover image from Freepik@kues1, we will delete it if constitutes infringement *
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