if you breathe well….you will be closer to every body….

From simple breath fresheners to products that can really influence oral health, a variety of mouth washes are available in the market.

Fluoride containing mouth rinses help to prevent dental decay. They may be recommended for:

  1. Children having orthodontic treatment
  2. Children with high caries risk A.M.-P.M. Junior (Elder) mouth wash contains 0.03% Triclosan and 0.05% Sodium Fluoride.
  3. Patients suffering from dry mouth and
  4. Patients who have undergone radiation therapy.

Antiplaque or anti microbial mouth wash is used to inhibit bacterial plaque formation and prevent or resolve chronic gingivitis. They can affect only supra gingival plaque. So they have no role in the treatment of existing periodontal disease, since they cannot either reach the sub gingival environment or penetrate thick layers of established plaque. In these situations, they are used after supra and sub gingival scaling has been done, rendering the tooth surfaces clean, in order to maintain this situation for a short period when the soreness of the gingiva may prevent effective mechanical plaque control.

Indications for Antiplaque mouth washes

To replace mechanical tooth brushing when this is not possible in the following situations.

    1. In cases of acute oral mucosal and gingival infections
    2. After periodontal or oral surgery and during the healing period
    3. After cosmetic jaw surgery or intermaxillary fixation used to treat jaw fractures.
    4. For mentally and physically handicapped patients.
  2. As an adjunct to normal mechanical brushing in situations where this may be compromised by discomfort or inadequacies.

a. After scaling when there is cervical hypersensitivity due to exposed root surfaces, prescribe mouth washes for about 4 weeks. Measures to treat hypersensitivity should also be instituted simultaneously.

b. Following sub gingival scaling and root planning when the gingivae may be sore for a few daysm use of a mouth wash is recommended for about 3 days.

Types of Antiplaque  mouth washes

Mouth washes containing essential oils.  Listerine (Parke Davis), one of the oldest mouth washes available, is an essential oil/phenolic mouth wash. It has been shown to have moderate plaque inhibitory effect and some anti-gingivitis effect. Its lack of profound plaque inhibitory effect is because it has poor oral retention.

  1. Oxygenating agents like Hydrogen peroxide, buffered Sodium peroxyborate and Peroxy carbonate in mouth washes have a beneficial effect on acute ulcerative gingivitis, probably by inhibiting anaerobic bacteria
  2. Bisguanide antiseptics, like Chlorhexidine, Alexidine and Octenidine possess antiplaque activity.
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