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Does Mouthwash Improve Oral Health?

You practice oral hygiene to remove harmful residues like plaque from your smile in a timely fashion. This will stop plaque from eating away at your teeth and leaving your smile vulnerable to dental dangers. You may brush your teeth twice per day and floss daily as your dentist suggests. But you can take further steps to protect your dental health.

Mouthwash is known to make your breath feel fresh, but it has oral health benefits too. Read to learn about three ways that rinsing with mouthwash can help you keep your smile as healthy as possible.

clean white beautiful smile

Oral Health Advantages with Mouthwash

Boost Your Oral Hygiene Routine

We complete at-home oral hygiene efforts as soon as we start growing teeth during our infancy. But even as you brush and floss diligently, you also consume substances that contribute to plaque formation between these oral hygiene regimens.

You can rinse with mouthwash to give your oral hygiene a boost, especially after a meal. This will wash away lingering food particles so that they will not hurt your smile in the period before you next brush your teeth.

This has the added benefit of reducing your chances of getting bad breath. Mouthwash will get rid of particles that would otherwise remain in your mouth and begin to react with saliva, producing an unpleasant odor. You can therefore feel more confident with fresh-smelling breath as you continue with your day.

Fight Gum Problems

Gum disease affects about half of all American adults. Despite its prevalence, many people experience severe dental damage from this infection of the gum tissue, including tooth loss.

This disease requires treatment from a dentist to eradicate. But you can prevent this infection with antibacterial mouthwash. This will balance the natural bacteria in your mouth. Then you can reduce your risk for oral infections, including gum disease.

You can provide extraordinary protection for your smile this way. This type of mouthwash may also alleviate uncomfortable periodontal symptoms, including swelling of the gum tissue.

Strengthen Your Teeth

Your teeth feature a hard, protective outer layer called enamel. Though durable, plaque, acidic foods, and other residues can eat away at the enamel and make it thin and weak. This will leave the sensitive interior of your teeth exposed and at risk of oral health problems.

Once gone, the enamel will not regrow. You might need restorative dental treatment to provide optimal protection for your teeth again. But you can rinse with a mouthwash that contains fluoride to strengthen your remaining tooth enamel.

Fluoride will absorb into the teeth to fortify the enamel, making it better able to resist decay, surface stains, and other dental concerns. You can reduce your risk of cavities and keep your teeth looking and feeling their best.

Talk to your dentist before using it to make sure mouthwash is the best way to preserve and enhance your smile. They can offer further oral hygiene and preventative dental care as well during a dental consult.