For an added boost to oral health, consider using a mouthwash or rinse before bed. A rinse will help to remove bacteria from your mouth and can effectively help prevent cavities.
Should you use mouthwash before bed? You certainly can, but use it half an hour after you brush so your toothpaste fluoride has time to work first. That way, the mouthwash adds to the protection. Otherwise, using the mouthwash right after you brush simply washes away the toothpaste fluoride.
Since you keep eating throughout the day, night time is the best time for the antibacterial properties in the mouthwash to kill the bad bacteria. This gives enough time for the mouthwash to act as there is no eating activity through out the night.
If you brush your teeth well, twice a day, and floss daily, mouthwash is not strictly necessary. However, most dentists highly recommend adding mouthwash to your morning and evening routine.
Use Mouthwash
Mouthwash can do more than give you fresh-smelling breath. Therapeutic mouthwashes can strengthen your teeth and treat some oral health conditions. Rinsing your mouth with one of these mouthwashes before bed can help to avert gingivitis and guard your teeth against cavities and plaque.
Although you can use mouthwash whenever you need to freshen your breath, the best time to use mouthwash is right after you eat. The sugars in the food and drinks you consume make your mouth more acidic. If you brush your teeth immediately after eating, you brush acid into your teeth, causing tooth erosion.
However, mouthwash falls short when it comes to replacing your regular brushing and flossing routine. Mouthwash has its benefits, but it should not be used in place of brushing your teeth, not even before bed!
Mouthwashes that kill 99.9% of the bacteria in your mouth are also killing off good bacteria. This can damage the mouth's microbiome and its ability to fight cavities, gingivitis and bad breath.
Using a mouthwash that contains fluoride can help prevent tooth decay, but don't use mouthwash (even a fluoride one) straight after brushing your teeth or it'll wash away the concentrated fluoride in the toothpaste left on your teeth. Choose a different time to use mouthwash, such as after lunch.
Leaving the toothpaste on your teeth overnight will allow the enamel to be fed fluoride from the paste. This fluoride will prevent the breakdown of enamel and allow the rebuilding of demineralized enamel.
It is not recommended to rinse your mouth with water after you have just used mouthwash. This is because many mouthwashes contain ingredients such as fluoride that need time to start working. If you rinse your mouth out straight after, the fluoride will also be washed away during the rinsing.
What Is It? The white film in your mouth is a condition known as oral thrush. It is an infection caused by the candida fungus, which is a naturally occurring yeast in your body. Usually, this fungus is kept under control by other bacteria, but sometimes mitigating factors can lead it to grow out of control.
One study on the effectiveness of mouthwash against morning breath found that the daily use of mouthwash significantly reduced the number of bacteria in the saliva. Flossing and mouthwash can also ensure that no food remains in the mouth overnight.
If you want to leave the house with a fresh, minty taste in your mouth, rinse with some mouthwash after breakfast. It will help to wash away food debris and leave you with fresh breath!
Fluoride Rinse
Do not eat or drink for 30 minutes after rinsing. It is important for the active ingredient to stay on your teeth for 30 minutes, so do not wash it away by eating, drinking or rinsing.
A mouthwash after brushing gets into any gaps you've missed the first go around and allows the fluoride to soak into the enamel. A mouthwash that contains hydrogen peroxide and used at least twice a day for three months can significantly whiten teeth.
Too much mouthwash.
Contrary to popular belief, mouthwash only “masks” bad breath; it doesn't eliminate it. Using mouthwash too often can kill bacteria in the mouth, and they respond by repopulating more odour-causing bacteria. Eating too many mints is also a contributor to bad breath.
Short answer: It doesn't matter. However, if you are using a fluoride toothpaste, wait at least 30 minutes before you rinse (yes, even a fluoride one) as it'll wash away the fluoride from the toothpaste before it can do its job. If you do use a fluoride mouthwash, wait 30 minutes before you eat or drink.
Mouthwashes and mouth rinses are meant to be spit out, not swallowed, because even natural mouthwash products may contain ingredients that can be poisonous if ingested in large amounts.
Rinsing with water DOES flush the fluoride. Rinsing ALSO removes bacteria and food particles. Fluoride CAN cause an upset stomach. Not rinsing with water can decrease the likelihood of cavities.
Used in moderation, it can help improve oral health without causing any harm. It is generally not recommended by dentists to use mouthwash every day or even at all for the matter. Most dentists will recommend that you brush your teeth and floss on a daily basis but not many will tell you that you need to use mouthwash.
Mouthwash is generally meant to be swished around in the mouth for 30 to 60 seconds. Make sure you follow the directions on your specific bottle. Swishing for less than 30 seconds isn't usually enough time for the mouthwash to be effective while swishing for longer than a minute won't give you any additional benefits.