Mouthwash may be causing your bad breath

by Chris Sparling (Subscribe to Chris Sparling's posts)
Apr 2nd 2008 7:14PM

Categories: Healthy Habits, Womens Health, HealthWatch, Diet & Weight Loss, Men's Health

Nobody wants raunchy breath, which is why mouthwash can be found in many bathroom cabinets across America. The crazy part is, though, it may actually cause your breath to smell worse.

If your mouthwash contains alcohol -- which about 90 percent of all brands do -- you may want to rethink using it before your next big date. As it turns out, alcohol dries your mouth to the point that bacteria gets stuck there, rather than being washed away by saliva. What's more, alcohol can actually feed surviving bacteria, say researchers from Tel Aviv University, causing your breath to smell even worse. So, swishing some mouthwash around may provide a quick fix, but it will probably be very temporary.

Try alcohol-free mouthwash for fresher breath and be sure to floss. Also, try not to go hungry, as prolonged periods of not eating have also been shown to cause funky breath. Then, you should finally be ready to pick up your date and not have to worry about them wilting like a flower.

Fight bad breath with these 6 tips

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Comments (9)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Christina 4-03-2008 @ 5:00PM

I am a Dental Hygienist and what was not mentioned was brushing you tongue. Your tongue can hold plauque around the tastebuds, which can cause 90% of bad breath. So before you do any tricks you have to remove what is actually causing the bad breath. GUM makes a nice one, which has a brush on one side to loosen the plaque and a comb on the other to remove it. Once ou start you'll be hooked. To Fresh Breath!

Lori 4-03-2008 @ 5:20PM

I always heard that mouth wash containg alcohol raises the risk of oral cancers besides creating a bad bacteria situation...

Michael Campbell 4-03-2008 @ 5:28PM

Question...
A little while back, there was a study on hand sanitizers and their lack of effectiveness over time due to bacteria and such becoming immune to the antibacterial solution. My theory is that the same could happen with antibacterial mouthwash. Thoughts?

Michael
http://needfiber.com

markku Maunula 4-03-2008 @ 5:33PM

I have found that after flossing and brushing, drinking a Calcium/Magnesium fizz protects my teeth. It creates an alkaline environment that bacteria can't flourish in. Bacteria needs an acidic environment to grow, so I no longer get the coating on my teeth in the morning. My teeth are healthier, and I'm happier.

sheena 4-03-2008 @ 6:13PM

They just discovered that alcohol in mouthwash causes bad breathe? Wow. I knew that back in 2000. I never buy mouthwash containing alcohol. I buy Landers mouthwash at the dollar store for a dollar and notice my breathe is fresh and mouth isnt so dry for years now. It feels very smooth when swishing and doesnt burn. Almost like swishing with cold flavored water that stays smooth and doesnt fizz when swishing. Really nice smooth watery cool taste. Try it. "Landers" mint mouthwash.

Julie 4-03-2008 @ 6:50PM

Michael,
I teach high school biology and we do an experiment to test just what you mentioned. We grow bacteria from our mouths before and after swishing. The after actually grows more bacteria, just not as many different types of bacteria. So, those bacteria that are resistant to the mouthwash seem to flourish when the others are killed...exactly what you mentioned. I'm sure this has been tested by actual scientists, too!

Michael Campbell 4-03-2008 @ 7:45PM

Thanks Julie!!!

theinterjector 4-03-2008 @ 7:04PM

That's right, sue Scope for giving you halitosis.

marcie0305 4-07-2008 @ 9:55PM

Hm, I think the best message here is "buyer beware" - pretty much most products driven by big dollars and big advertising, I stay away from. To include fluoridated toothpaste...more on that later :)

~Marcie
http://feedingblackmail.blogspot.com