Dentist In Frisco TX: What You Need To Know About Mouthwashes And Rinses

When you visit your dentist in Frisco TX for your twice-yearly teeth cleaning and dental exam, your dentist and hygienist will remind you how important it is for you to keep up a routine of daily brushing and flossing for good oral health.  Many people also supplement their daily dental care with a mouthwash or mouth rinse.  Although neither is essential to maintaining clean, healthy teeth and gums and should never be used as a replacement for brushing and flossing, mouthwashes and rinses generally can’t hurt if used correctly and in moderation.

If you’ve ever looked at the toothpaste aisle of any supermarket or drugstore, you’ve likely seen the army of mouthwash bottles in an array of colors from blue to purple to yellow lining the shelves.  In your parents’ or grandparents’ day, there were only a couple of mouthwashes that promised to both kill germs and freshen breath.  Today, we have a bigger selection of products that each perform a specific function – they freshen breath or they prevent cavities or they alleviate plaque build-up.  There are even mouthwashes and rinses designed for people with braces, for dry mouth and for enamel-strengthening.

It’s always best to ask for recommendations for any dental health product from your dentist in Frisco TX before you spend money on it.  They can help you choose from the many different types and recommend brands that they trust.  And they’ll also tell you that if you choose your own mouthwash, there are three things to keep in mind:

1. Think twice about buying mouthwash that contains alcohol.   Many mouthwashes and rinses contain alcohol; but there is no real evidence that alcohol-based washes are any more effective at cleaning your mouth than non-alcohol-based washes.  In addition, alcohol-based mouthwashes are not good to have in homes where there recovering alcoholics or where there are children who might accidentally swallow the mouth wash.

2. Don’t irritate sensitive gums.   Many people who use alcohol-based mouthwashes find that the ingredients can be irritating to already-sensitive gums.  The ingredients may even promote sensitivity in people who never knew they had a problem.  To remove the irritants from your mouthwash routine, choose a non-alcohol or a natural mouthwash or rinse.  Natural mouthwashes often have soothing ingredients like chamomile and aloe vera.

3. Choose ingredients that control plaque.   If you need more help controlling plaque build-up on your teeth and gums, check for mouthwashes that contain bacteria-killing ingredients.

Remember that the best resource for information about mouthwashes and rinses is your dentist in Frisco TX. Your dentist and hygienist can help you to decide the kind of mouthwash to use or if you even need mouthwash or mouth rinse at all.  To schedule an appointment with a dentist who can help you to take great care of your teeth, call Prestonbrook Dental at (972) 335-7666.  And visit www.prestonbrookdental.com to learn more.

[osky-citation keyword= ‘Dentist Frisco TX’]

Photo Credit:  ©Depositphotos.com/  A n d r e y P o p o v