Do you need to use mouthwash?

Many people enjoy the sensation of a mouthwash. It leaves your mouth and teeth feeling minty fresh, and you know your breath smells better. But is using mouthwash necessary for a proper oral hygiene routine?

It can be helpful. Mouthwash can help rinse out leftover plaque or other food stuck in the deepest corners of your teeth. But the thing is, so can water.

So mouthwash isn’t going to be able to replace any other routines like brushing or flossing your teeth. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it. Mouthwash can be used in addition to brushing and flossing. It can be an effective way to freshen up your breath for the day and kill harmful bacteria.

Which kind of mouthwash should you choose?

There are a few different types of mouthwash. Some types of mouthwash contain alcohol to help clean the mouth. However, mouthwashes that contain alcohol can dry out your mouth. These are probably only necessary for those with stronger cases of bad breath.

But if you have a mouth and teeth in general good health, it’s unlikely you’ll need something as powerful as an alcoholic mouthwash. You’d be better off with one that isn’t a strong antibacterial.

Ultimately mouthwash is about making your mouth feel fresh, it doesn’t necessarily help your overall hygiene. That’s why you don’t actually need mouthwash. If you don’t like mouthwash, you don’t need to use it. A proper oral routine can consist simply of brushing twice a day and flossing.

Freshening your breath without mouthwash

If you don’t want to use mouthwash but would still like to freshen up your breath, there are a few alternatives.

Sugar-free gum: You can pick your favorite flavor of sugar free gum and it can help to make your breath better and remove surface layer remnants from your teeth.

Mints: There are plenty of different mints on the market made solely for the purpose of making your breath smell good.

One of the main causes of bad breath is the tongue. Since we usually only brush our teeth, there is leftover bacteria that lives on the tongue and can really make the breath smell. This is why some people brush their tongue. However, there are better ways to remove the bacteria from your tongue than brushing it. AutoBrush offers a tongue scraper that efficiently removes bacteria from and cleans your tongue. It is more effective and hygienic than brushing the tongue.

Whether you use mouthwash in your routine or some other alternative, remember that it’s not a substitute for brushing and flossing.