This is becoming a hot topic in dentistry as we continue to see patients without typical risk factors ( smoking and drinking lots of alcohol) developing oral cancer. The search is on to identify what is really behind the rise in oral cancer rates and mouthwash containing alcohol is coming in for some close scrutiny.<\/p>\n
As yet no one has proven\u00a0beyond all reasonable doubt a\u00a0significant \u00a0link between the use of alcohol containing mouthwash and an increased risk of oral cancer unless you are rinsing 3 or more times per day, which lest be honest \u00a0is an awful lot.<\/p>\n
What we do know though is that alcohol increases the ability of other toxins to penetrate through the surface of the mouth and throat lining. So it does lead me to wonder if\u00a0 rinsing your mouth with it every day is a great\u00a0plan.\u00a0 We also know that any remnants of alcohol in the mouth can break down into acetaldehyde which its self is though to be a carcinogen. So where does that leave us in terms of practical dental advice?<\/p>\n
Here are my views…<\/p>\n
1. shot term use ( less than 2 weeks) \u00a0of\u00a0 chlorhexidine and alcohol\u00a0 containing mouthwash to\u00a0control plaque after an extraction or when the gums are inflamed for some other reason is fine. Even though it can be bought over the counter it is best used only on the specific advice of a dentist, doctor or pharmacist.<\/p>\n
2. if you take medications that cause a dry mouth or have a dry mouth for any other reason \u00a0you are more at risk of tooth decay. A\u00a0fluoride mouthwash is a helpful part of a prevention strategy.\u00a0As the alcohol free versions are just as effective why not choose one of those? or consider asking your dentist or doctor about prescription strength Fluoride\u00a0toothpaste.<\/p>\n
3.if you have a high rate of decay for some other reason a fluoride mouthwash may be a valuable addition to your home care routine\u00a0 BUT only after\u00a0 you have brushed and flossed<\/p>\n
4. mouthwash does not\u00a0an alternative to \u00a0tooth brushing, despite the graphics in the adverts unless you mechanically clean the teeth first the mouthwash can’t do its job.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This is becoming a hot topic in dentistry as we continue to see patients without typical risk factors ( smoking and drinking lots of alcohol) developing oral cancer. The search is on to identify what is really behind the rise in oral cancer rates and mouthwash containing alcohol is coming in for some close scrutiny. … Continue reading Mouthwash and the links with oral cancer<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t