There are several logical and obvious reasons why patients should not be using mouth rinses that contain alcohol. It is not a coincidence that nearly 100 percent of the rinses introduced for dental professionals over the past decade have been alcohol free. Consider the following:

1. Alcohol burns oral tissues.
2. Alcohol dries out oral tissues.
3. Alcohol may shrink composite resins and/or degrade bonding agents over time.
4. Alcohol may increase the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer.
5. Alcohol-based rinses are not more effective in eliminating mouth odors, since alcohol does not directly neutralize the compounds that cause malodor; mainly VSCs (volatile sulfur compounds).
6. Most alcohol-based rinses also contain colorings/dyes that can darken or stain teeth.

Let's take a look at all the categories of patients that cannot or should not use alcohol:

1. Children/teenagers
2. Pregnant women
3. Elderly individuals and/or those on multiple medications (a major side effect of the most commonly prescribed medications today is xerostomia, which is an inhibition of salivary flow creating a dry mouth)
4. Substance abusers (do you really know who they are?)
5. Diabetics
6. People with Halitosis
7. Patients that have had cosmetic services and/or restorations (composites, ceramic crowns, veneers, whitening)

Think about it...almost 100% of us fall into one or more of these categories!

Statistics show that over 1/3 of households have a least one mouth rinse at home, but the majority of them do not rinse daily; they rinse only after eating certain foods (i.e. garlic) or before a date or special event. Learning to incorporate a basic 3-Step system of scrape the tongue, brush, and rinse will greatly improve long-term oral health.

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