Introduction - Your Mouthwash Guide
Known by many names - a mouthwash, mouth rinse, oral rinse, or mouth bath is a liquid which is widely used in common households to support dental hygiene. People include mouthwashes in their oral hygiene regime, brushing their teeth, and flossing, among other things. The typical way to use mouthwash is before or after brushing one’s teeth - or even in between that anytime during the day. Typically, the mouthwash liquid is held in the mouth or swirled for 30 to 60 seconds to allow it to break down germs, food residue, or plaque in the mouth.
Usually made of an antiseptic combination, best mouthwashes are formulas designed with the aim to break down bacterial growth in the mouth and prevent the building up of germs or plaque that eventually may lead to teeth yellowing or even tooth loss in severe cases. Some formulas of mouth rinses may also contain alcoholic compounds. Other common ingredients used in these rinsing liquids may include benzoic acid, edible oils, essential oils, fluoride, sanguinarine, zinc, and flavouring agents, among others. Different types of ingredients are used to formulate common and specialised oral rinses. Other than common oral care products, special mouth rinses work as an anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, whitening, and medicinal agent for certain dental or oral conditions.
Other than for certain medical conditions, the benefits of using the best mouthwash are many, some of which may include:
- Better Reach: No matter how frequently or efficiently you may brush your teeth it is impossible to reach the nooks and corners of your mouth as much as you can with the best mouthwash.
- Less Debris: Best Mouthwashes are designed to break down hidden or stuck food debris so that it doesn’t lodge into or between your teeth and create issues for your dental health.
- Prevention Over Cure: While most dental conditions today are treatable with medicines or procedures, it is always better to prevent them than to cure them. Best Mouthwashes help you do that. The regular use of these antiseptic formulas helps prevent minor and major oral health conditions including gingivitis, and plaque, among other dental and gum issues and diseases.
- Better Smiles: How your teeth look can directly affect how you feel. The appearance of the teeth has the power and influence to uplift or kill one’s personality and confidence. Using mouth rinses regularly alongside daily brushing of teeth can help prevent issues that cause teeth yellowing, decay, or even teeth loss.
- Fresher Breath: Best Mouthwashes have a longer-lasting effect on your breath than just toothpaste - plus you can easily use a mouthwash anywhere and any time of the day under just one minute and achieve that freshness in your breath. Whether you are on for an important meeting at the office or a brunch with friends, mouth rinses can shoo away the bad breath in a jiffy.
What should I look for when picking a mouthwash?
With globalisation at its peak and the internet becoming the easiest source of anything in the world, the market is flooded with products of all kinds for all sorts of needs. The same is true for oral care products. You can easily find hundreds of options for all the various lines of products for oral care. From toothpaste, mouth rinses, flosses, tongue cleaners, and whatnot the market is full of options and varieties. In such a situation, it becomes difficult to choose and even difficult to make a perfectly informed choice of the best mouthwash. When marketing houses make every other product look ideal, you might find yourself stuck and done with making such choices.
Here is your easy-peasy guide to the qualities you should look for if you want to choose the best alcohol free mouthwash for you:
- Antiseptic: This is one of the most common qualities you might find in mouthwashes. However, it's always better to confirm that your best alcohol free mouthwash offers anti-septic qualities.
- Alcohol-Free: Most mouth rinses might do the trick for hygiene but they sting like a bee in your mouth! If you are out to choose the ideal product, look for an alcohol free best mouthwash.
- Essential Oils: Essential oils, when included in the formula make the rinse powered with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties which help fight germs and keep your mouth healthy.
- Added Benefits: Added benefits like ingredients including Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, and chlorhexidine help make the formula more effective and add benefits to your daily oral hygiene routine.
- Other Qualities: Other qualities may include a made-safe formula, probiotic mouthwash, and long-lasting fresh breath, among others. You may find these properties in some best mouthwash options on the market.
Best alcohol free mouthwash
The best alcohol free mouthwash for bad breath, fighting oral diseases, and maintaining overall oral hygiene must have most if not all of the above-listed qualities. One of the most important qualities to keep in mind while browsing through options is that the formula should be alcohol-free. An alcohol-free oral wash is much kinder and gentler to your mouth and tissues of the mouth. It would not sting in your mouth and has added benefits like fighting dry mouth alongside common qualities.
One of the best alcohol-free products in the market in this segment is Perfora’s range of probiotic and alcohol free mouthwashes. Perfora, a leading oral care product brand offers a range of products from toothpaste, to oral rinses, to tools (including tongue cleaners and water flossers). Specialising in making eco-friendly, cruelty-free, and safe products - also ideal for building an efficient oral care routine, the brand offers you refreshing options for oral rinses. Available in two amazing flavours (including Thyme Mint and Lemon Mint), these oral rinses are also rich in properties you should definitely look for when opting for a choice. Some qualities that make this product far more superior to other common choices include:
- Probiotic Formula
- Alcohol-Free
- Contains Essential Oils
- Contains Vitamin C
- Contains Hyaluronic Acid
- Contains Active Ingredients
- No Artificial Flavors
- No Artificial Colours
In addition to the great benefits that the formula of this product offers for your oral health, the brand also makes special efforts to ensure that their products must not have any side effects - on the user or the environment. Thus, they are made cruelty free and safe by experts.
What’s the best way to use a mouthwash?
- Add not Replace: Remember, no matter how great a product may be, an oral rinse is definitely not a replacement for brushing your teeth. You must brush your teeth twice a day for at least 2 minutes. You may add a cosmetic or medicinal mouthwash to enhance your oral health.
- Read First: Always read the label or packet that the product comes with. Various different types of products come with different specific instructions to use. Always make sure to read the label before deciding on a course of action with health products.
- Brush First: It is advised to brush your teeth before you use your oral wash. This covers any residue left from brushing and adds benefits to your brushing of teeth.
- Quantity: Always check the label for the ideal quantity to use per serving. Some of the best alcohol free and probiotic mouthwash (like Perfora’s) come with a measuring cup to make daily use more convenient.
- Don’t Rinse After: It is advised not to rinse your mouth with water after you have used a mouth bath for at least 30 minutes. Some mouthwashes may sting after use leaving you with the urge to rinse; to resolve that choose an alcohol-free formula.
Safety Tips for using a mouthwash
- Consult Your Dentist: If you are not sure about underlying conditions in your mouth, or in general around the choice of a product, consult your dentist. A professional may be able to better help you choose the ideal fit for your oral health.
- Check for Expiry Date: Always check the label for the expiry date. Using an expired product, especially a mouthwash which you may even accidentally ingest sometimes can be dangerous.
- Not For Children: Generally, most mouth rinses are not made suitable for smaller kids (typically under the age of 6 years). You must consult with a dentist if you want to learn more about your children’s oral health before replicating the use of the products you use with your children.
- Do Not Swallow: Since some of the stronger ingredients of a mouth rinse formula may not be fit for ingestion, it is advised not to swallow after use. You may sometimes accidentally swallow some of it while rinsing, swirling, or gargling. However, you must not turn this into a habit. It is highly advised that you let the formula out by spitting it after use.
- Open Sores/Injuries: If you have any open sores, cuts, legions, injuries, or any other similar conditions in your mouth, you must not use a mouthwash for the time the condition/s resolves. Using a mouth rinse with such issues prevalent in your mouth may end up causing you pain and deteriorating the condition.