Is It a Good Idea to Replace Toothpaste with Mouthwash?

Mouthwash provides fresh sensation to the mouth due to the ingredients present in its composition. But do you know that it does nothing to clean your mouth? Although the mouthwashes are loaded with ingredients such as fluoride and other antibacterial agents, they do not remove plaque from your teeth. It doesn’t matter how often you swish mouthwash in the inside of your mouth.

Plaque is basically a bacterial buildup that gathers on the teeth not only throughout the day but also during the night. If you are not brushing your teeth with proper technique or you skipping the brushing of your teeth, you are going to end up having a buildup of plaque on your teeth. One thing that you need to keep in mind is that the plaque can have extremely negative effects on your oral health. If you are not brushing your teeth, you are essentially letting the plaque to harden. This hardened plaque, also known as tartar, can cause tooth decay, bad breath and gingivitis. Thus, it is very important to brush your teeth and daily. Make sure that you brush your teeth twice in a day and that too with a proper brushing technique.

One thing worth mentioning here is that neither toothpaste nor mouthwash alone can do anything to remove plaque gathered on and around your teeth. The main function of a toothpaste or mouthwash is to release ingredients in the mouth that can strengthen the teeth and slow down the process of tooth decay. However, they are not going to do anything with the plaque.

Now, if you want to keep the plaque buildup at bay, you will need to floss and brush your teeth with a soft –bristled toothbrush combined with high quality toothpaste and the mouthwash loaded with the ingredients that can help you strengthen your teeth. The best thing about fluoride is that it tends to restore the tooth enamel by giving it back the ingredients lost due to acidity of plaque. Therefore, fluoride needs to be the primary ingredient of the toothpaste and mouthwash you are using.

Remember, most of the dental problems occur due to not brushing and flossing your teeth on daily basis. Problems such as cavities, gum disease and bad breath are resulted by deficient oral hygiene. When you do not brush and floss your teeth, the plaque tends to gather on and around your teeth. Plaque is a sticky material which doesn’t go away simply by swishing the mouthwash inside the mouth. You will need to use toothbrush with proper technique to get rid of this plaque.