A doctor has issued a stern warning against using certain types of mouthwash. (Image: Getty)
is an essential part of many people’s morning and evening routines, but a doctor has urgently warned there is something important to be aware.
Dr Karan Rajan, a British surgeon who works for the , has warned against certain types of mouthwash due to an increased risk of developing some forms of .
He stressed the importance of reading the labels and finding a product that is alcohol-free.
The expert said: “People shouldn’t be using [mouthwash] if they don’t need to. We are increasingly appreciating that we have an oral microbiome, and these can be affected by alcohol.”
Dr Rajan explained that any alcoholic mouthwash will disrupt this microbiome, killing off essential functions.
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Alcoholic mouthwashes kill off a microbiome which has essential functions. (Image: Getty)
For example, the doctor shared that lots of the “good” bacteria in the mouth help defend your and gums, freshen your breath and aid in the digestive process.
Alcohol-based mouthwash is not like an alcoholic beverage – it contains a higher concentration of alcohol and is exposed to your teeth for a longer period of time.
By swirling around an alcohol-based chemical in our mouths twice a day, we run the risk of serious health problems later in life.
He said: “Some early evidence suggesting that chronic mouthwash use has been linked, from a correlation point of view, to increasing rates of colorectal cancers because of that disrupted oral microbiome.”
Elsewhere, experts have found that an alcoholic mouthwash can actually dry out your mouth, which can make any worse.
Alcoholic mouthwash runs the risk of causing issues such as burning mouth, mucosal pain, the softening of composite filling materials, teeth staining, enamel erosion and ulcers.
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Dr Karan Explores argues that mouthwash is not even needed, just a good brush will do. (Image: Getty)
As part of Dr Rajan’s podcast, Dr Karan Explores, he spoke with Whitney DiFoggio, an American dental hygienist.
Regarding mouthwash, she said: “You don’t need a mouthwash. Manually brushing the plaque and debris from your teeth with a toothbrush with something to get between your teeth as well as [covering] the fronts, backs, tops and bottoms is what you need.”
According to the , using a mouthwash that contains fluoride can help prevent tooth decay, but do not use mouthwash – even a fluoride one – straight after brushing your teeth or it will wash away the concentrated fluoride in the toothpaste left on your teeth.
Instead, choose a different time to use mouthwash, such as after lunch. You must also avoid eating and drinking for 30 minutes after using a fluoride mouthwash.