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Dr. Cooper of San Jose, CA is blogging today to explain the harmful effects mouthwash can have on our oral health and how dental implants can be a great solution for issues this may have created. Is mouthwash really cleaning your mouth and freshening your breath? The element of alcohol used in your brand name mouthwash products is actually hurting your dental hygiene rather than helping it.
Shields Down
By washing our mouth out with this, we are stripping our mucous shield which causes our teeth and gums to become more vulnerable to infections and contamination than before. Once this shield is down, not only does it make our mouths more susceptible to damage but it also speeds up the destructive process. As thoroughly as we brush, floss and rinse, we still have left over bacteria in our mouths just waiting to strike crevice after crevice. Once the alcohol is activated in our mouths, it dries them out, creating more powerful bacteria due to the severe lack of saliva.
As if this was not bad enough, mouthwash can also lead to increased stain damage after time. Because our enamel is weakening with this product and our teeth are more vulnerable, it makes it much easier for the color to change and stains to multiply all over our teeth. This even can increase stain damage from liquids specifically, such as: wine, coffee, and tea. The more these are consumed after using mouthwash, the more the stains will worsen.
Considering how weak our teeth have become at this point, we become easy victims of tooth decay and plaque buildup. These nasty and strong pathogens multiply without any effort and infest our gums, teeth, and entire mouths creating a cesspool of harmful germs. This sensitivity also does not help with ingestion of cold liquids or exposure to cold air; these can cause extreme pain in our already vulnerable oral cavities.
Solutions
We have come up with some solutions so you can save that $7.99 on the brand name mouthwash that you think you need. Depending on how long you have used mouthwash, there are three helpful solutions we have come up with to take mouthwash out of your daily routine.
Water
We are always supposed to keep our mouths clean with water; this moisturizes and gets rid of loose plaque and food particles. The more water we drink, the better our saliva production will be; which will help to keep the bacteria away from your teeth and gums. Dry mouth is one of the worst things for your mouth which is exactly what you get when you use mouthwash; it dries out all remaining saliva and makes this process of devastating our oral cavities much easier for the bacteria.
Sugar- free gum
Sugar- free gum can be a great replacement for mouthwash considering its harmless and helpful qualities. This gum will help to build back the saliva lost and will instinctively clean out your mouth and helps to freshen breath. This substance has no effect on our mucous shields which will help keep our teeth strong and get rid of left over bacteria after brushing and flossing.
Dental Implants
If you have been using mouthwash for years and it has compromised your dental hygiene by either developing halitosis, loss of teeth or gum disease; dental implants could be the perfect solution for you to get your white and healthy smile back. If you want more information on our dental implant procedure, visit our Dental Implant Info page to learn more.
Call us Today to Schedule a Consultation in San Jose, CA.
Stop drying your mouth this second, toss that mouthwash in the trash and come see us for the perfect smile. Dental implants could be exactly what you need to restore you dental hygiene and stop using alcohol to kill your oral defenses. Call us today at 408- 740- 5317.