You know that you need to brush twice a day and floss once a day, but what about mouthwash? How often should you use it, or should you use it at all? We do recommend that you use mouthwash at least once a day, ideally after you brush and floss. However, there are a few important things to know about mouthwash. Like toothpaste, you'll find many different mouthwash options at your local store, but they're not all created the same.
Make Sure You're Using the Right Mouthwash
When you look for mouthwash, one of the key factors is whether or not it has alcohol in it. For years, alcohol was the main active ingredient in most mouthwashes. Today, though, there are a good number of alcohol-free mouthwashes, and those are what you should go for. While the alcohol will certainly kill many of the harmful bacteria in your mouth, it will also kill the good bacteria that actually help keep you healthy. Alcohol-free mouthwash doesn't harm as many of the good bacteria and doesn't carry any risk of harming your teeth. Other than that, you may want to look for mouthwash that contains extra fluoride to help protect your teeth from cavities. You should also pick a mouthwash with a flavor you like just to make using it more pleasant.
There is one other factor that determines how often you should use mouthwash. With over-the-counter options, you can rinse your mouth out a few times a day. If we've prescribed you a prescription mouthwash, on the other hand, you may not be able to use it as often. We will give you very clear instructions on when and how to use this more powerful mouthwash, and you need to make certain you follow them. If you have any questions about a prescription mouthwash or about mouthwashes in general, give us a call. We'll be happy to answer them.
Our Blog | Water’s Edge Dental | Boise, ID dentist Water's Edge Dental has created this informative blog to help educate the community. Water's Edge Dental, 6657 N. Glenwood Street, Boise, ID 83714-1925; (208) 391-8554; watersedgedentalboise.com; 1/9/2025; Page Keywords: dentist Boise ID;
You know that you need to brush twice a day and floss once a day, but what about mouthwash? How often should you use it, or should you use it at all? We do recommend that you use mouthwash at least once a day, ideally after you brush and floss. However, there are a few important things to know about mouthwash. Like toothpaste, you'll find many different mouthwash options at your local store, but they're not all created the same.