Do You Really Need Mouthwash?
The science behind marginal and uncertain benefits and emerging risks
Mouthwash feels good. Killing 99.9% of all germs. Obliterating dreaded plaque. Annihilating gingivitis. Mmm, minty fresh breath! So I’m not sure exactly how to break the news.
I guess I’ll just spit it out.
For people with good oral health who brush and floss regularly, there’s not much scientific evidence that mouthwash offers additional benefit. And when scientists really sink their teeth into analyzing the available research, they find some mouthwashes can do more harm than good.
To be clear, specific types of mouthwash can benefit people with certain oral health problems — a dentist can help you determine your potential need. But to get beyond the sparkling claims that fuel more than $6 billion in annual global sales, I’ve brushed up on the latest scientific literature and reached out to multiple experts to figure out who might benefit from mouthwash, who likely doesn’t need it, and how we can all decide.
The result is a mouthful of conflicting claims and suggestions. So here’s the single most solid and important takeaway experts agree on:
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