[MelodyL]

Hi.

I have been using the Oral B Smart Series 4000 and I get the smiley face every time I brush so I'm doing the right thing. Using the Cordless Waterpik. I LOVE THE FEELING.

Someone told me he puts Listerine in the water of the Waterpik. I've never done that.

Some people say they know people who have rinsed only with Listerine, never saw a dentist in their lifetime, and have never had a cavity. Now if one never visits a dentist, how does one know they don't have an cavities?

Anyway, here's my question.

If one could buy the best possible mouthwash (with ALL the stuff on the shelves, it's mind boggling), then what would be the best one to use after one does all the brushing, flossing, waterpiking, etc.

I'm talking Good for the Gums, maybe getting plaque off gums, WHATEVER A MOUTHWASH is supposed to do.

There's all kinds of Listerines, Scopes, Tom's of maine (toothpaste, but I bet they make a mouthwash rinse).

There's a mouthwash that promises to take 90% of plaque off.

There's one called ACT.

I mean, how do we choose? Some have alcohol.

So please tell me and everyone else who visits this message board, what the experts feel is the best mouthwash on the market. (Or does it really matter WHICH mouthwash one uses.?

Thanks much

Melody

[sandy60]

Melody, I use baking soda to get the plaque off and some instruments to do my own cleaning and also use a rubber tip around each tooth to get the goo off before it hardens into plaque. For prevention of cavities, I use Biotene because it has xylitol. I also use fluoride rinses before bed...also Gel-Kam on sensitive teeth. So, I use a combination. I don't like the idea of using alcohol. For me, the most important thing is to preserve every tooth and avoid more periodontal disease and get all the plaque off and get no more cavities. I never go anywhere without a tooth brush and seriously, nothing remains on my teeth for more than 5 minutes. In answer to your question, a mouthwash alone for me doesn't do it. Every tooth has to be squeaky clean and that takes floss, some sort of pick or rubber tip.

[Bryanna]

Hi Melody,

Many dentists typically suggest a mouthwash that is endorsed by the ADA irrelevant of what the ingredients may be. The dentists who actually read the ingredients suggest that their patients refrain from using any mouthwash that contains alcohol... dyes... and preservatives. None of these things are good for the gums and can actually cause irritation and inflammation. Alcohol also causes a decrease in the flow of saliva which makes the user more prone to decay. Alcohol has a long lasting effect on the gum tissue causing it to become very dry making the user more prone to gum disease.

Studies on mouthwash have been done in Europe for many years and it is only recently that the results of those studies have filtered through to the US. The studies confirm that mouthwash containing alcohol predispose the user to oral cancer irrelevant of whether that person smokes or not. If they do smoke, the oral cancer rate increases. Again, it is due to the fact that alcohol is a drying agent which reduces the salivary flow, excessively dries the gum and oral tissue resulting in chronic irritation and inflammation.

The mouth has over 400+ strains of bacteria... both good and bad and that's the way it's suppose to be. The idea with using mouthwash is basically a temporary means of freshening ones breath but if it contains alcohol, it actually causes halitosis more quickly than if it weren't used at all. The marketing claims that mouthwash can remove plaque ... etc... have never been proven. There is never any need to use any harsh chemicals in the mouth for any reason. Thorough brushing and flossing and using a tongue scraper will do the trick! If you have permanent bridgework or some moderate pocketing, then a water pik on a gentle setting in addition to brushing and flossing may be helpful. Good ole salt water or baking soda in the water pik is best for irrigating..... no need to use any thing else.

If someone finds that they have chronic bad breath and they are diligent with their oral hygiene, then they either have ill fitting dental restorations... periodontal disease.... or a digestive disorder.

If someone wants to use a mouthwash .... then an herbal based product like Toms of Maine, Jason, Spry...... all without alcohol is the safest to use.

Hope this was helpful to you!

Bryanna

Originally Posted by MelodyL

Hi.

I have been using the Oral B Smart Series 4000 and I get the smiley face every time I brush so I'm doing the right thing. Using the Cordless Waterpik. I LOVE THE FEELING.

Someone told me he puts Listerine in the water of the Waterpik. I've never done that.

Some people say they know people who have rinsed only with Listerine, never saw a dentist in their lifetime, and have never had a cavity. Now if one never visits a dentist, how does one know they don't have an cavities?

Anyway, here's my question.

If one could buy the best possible mouthwash (with ALL the stuff on the shelves, it's mind boggling), then what would be the best one to use after one does all the brushing, flossing, waterpiking, etc.

I'm talking Good for the Gums, maybe getting plaque off gums, WHATEVER A MOUTHWASH is supposed to do.

There's all kinds of Listerines, Scopes, Tom's of maine (toothpaste, but I bet they make a mouthwash rinse).

There's a mouthwash that promises to take 90% of plaque off.

There's one called ACT.

I mean, how do we choose? Some have alcohol.

So please tell me and everyone else who visits this message board, what the experts feel is the best mouthwash on the market. (Or does it really matter WHICH mouthwash one uses.?

Thanks much

Melody

[MelodyL]

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi Melody,

Many dentists typically suggest a mouthwash that is endorsed by the ADA irrelevant of what the ingredients may be. The dentists who actually read the ingredients suggest that their patients refrain from using any mouthwash that contains alcohol... dyes... and preservatives. None of these things are good for the gums and can actually cause irritation and inflammation. Alcohol also causes a decrease in the flow of saliva which makes the user more prone to decay. Alcohol has a long lasting effect on the gum tissue causing it to become very dry making the user more prone to gum disease.

Studies on mouthwash have been done in Europe for many years and it is only recently that the results of those studies have filtered through to the US. The studies confirm that mouthwash containing alcohol predispose the user to oral cancer irrelevant of whether that person smokes or not. If they do smoke, the oral cancer rate increases. Again, it is due to the fact that alcohol is a drying agent which reduces the salivary flow, excessively dries the gum and oral tissue resulting in chronic irritation and inflammation.

The mouth has over 400+ strains of bacteria... both good and bad and that's the way it's suppose to be. The idea with using mouthwash is basically a temporary means of freshening ones breath but if it contains alcohol, it actually causes halitosis more quickly than if it weren't used at all. The marketing claims that mouthwash can remove plaque ... etc... have never been proven. There is never any need to use any harsh chemicals in the mouth for any reason. Thorough brushing and flossing and using a tongue scraper will do the trick! If you have permanent bridgework or some moderate pocketing, then a water pik on a gentle setting in addition to brushing and flossing may be helpful. Good ole salt water or baking soda in the water pik is best for irrigating..... no need to use any thing else.

If someone finds that they have chronic bad breath and they are diligent with their oral hygiene, then they either have ill fitting dental restorations... periodontal disease.... or a digestive disorder.

If someone wants to use a mouthwash .... then an herbal based product like Toms of Maine, Jason, Spry...... all without alcohol is the safest to use.

Hope this was helpful to you!

Bryanna

Helpful to me?????

You probably saved my life.

I just threw out my mouthwash. It was from Walgreens and it said "compare to the active ingredients in Listerine"

I read the ingredients. Floride and Alcohol were among the ingredients.

Never again.

Tomorrow, when I go out for breakfast, I shall stop in the drugstore and get some Tom's of Maine or Biotene or SOMETHING, without alcohol.

I might not even get any mouthwash.

I can put baking soda in the water pik? What exactly does this do?


AND THANKS VERY MUCH

Melody

[MelodyL]

Wow, did I get a lesson this morning. I have the dental cleaning things (with the safety tops on them). in my bathroom medicine chest.

This morning, I took it out, took off the protective rubber cap and sanitized it.

I then marched over to my new mirror that I had purchased from Brookstone (it's a 20x magnification mirror), and I looked in my mouth.

YOU REALLY SEE YOUR TEETH in this mirror.

I have been using the Oral B Smart series for several weeks now. All my teeth looked fine EXCEPT FOR THE BACK OF TWO OF MY FRONT TEETH.

There was this white line around the back of two of the teeth.

I took my dental pick and GENTLY scraped off the white stuff. It came off. I had to do a bit of digging. I never went near my gum line. I just took the white stuff off. After a bit of learning how to take it off, I got the hang of it. The white stuff came off and I said "wow, I actually can do this".

I imagine this was tartar that I had missed when brushing?

I them rinsed out my mouth with a bit of warm salt water and my mouth felt nice and clean.

It's like I have a new purpose in life now. Not to get any tartar (or to get a little as I possibly get).

I did the research and Biotene has enzymes that get the Bio-film off of you teeth.

So I just got back form CVS and I got Toms of Maine, and a bottle of Biotene (that has a green sticker on that says "gets rid of plaque".

Seems there a two kinds of Biotene.

Well, after going out for breakfast and buying these items, I then came home, and brushed with Toms of Maine, (didn't do the biotene get). the Toms of Maine left a lovely feeling in my mouth.

Because I have a question.

What is the exact order of brushing flossing and using Biotene (when one gets up in the morning).

Is it Brush, floss, use Biotene??

Because if Biotene gets rid of the bio-film, doesn't it make more sense to use Biotene first, then brush, then floss.

I just want to get the order in which I do these steps...correct.

Thanks much

P.S. the Oral B Smart Series really does do the trick. I mean, I only saw the tartar on two of my back teeth. And now THAT'S GONE.

I gather that if I continue to keep my teeth in this fashion, the next time I go for a cleaning, I might be told.

"GOOD JOB, MELODY"


lol

Mel

[Bryanna]

Hi Melody,

The most effective way to remove plaque from your teeth is brushing and flossing properly. It is not so much what is on the toothbrush or in the mouthwash that removes the plaque... it is the mechanical action of brushing and flossing that does the trick. Within 45 minutes of brushing your teeth, plaque begins to form irrelevant of whether you have eaten or not. Plaque is a film of bacteria that is produced by the chemistry in our saliva. So irrelvant of what you rinse with or how many times you brush, you are going to produce plaque. The idea is to thoroughly remove the accumulation of plaque no less than twice a day by brushing and flossing..... especially at bedtime.

Biotene is really meant to be used by people who have an excessively dry mouth due to medications, radiation treatment, illness.... etc. However, it does not work as well as plain ole Xylitol and unlike Xylitol, Biotene contains fluoride, preservatives and dyes.

Even though you are "only" rinsing with a mouthwash, you are bathing the oral tissue, the tonsils and the nasal mucosa in the back of the throat with the ingredients in the mouthwash which is penetrating into these areas every time you use the rinse. There is no need to do that and it can be harmful. That's why if you are going to use mouthwash, it is important to use a product that does not disrupt or kill the good bacteria in your mouth.

A good example of a toothpaste that contains helpful, harmless cleaning agents that are actually good for our teeth and gums and has ingredients that help reduce the acidity in our mouths is .... Jason PowerSmile toothpaste and Jason Powersmile Mouthwash. They both have similar ingredients which means they are not going to be counterproductive if you use one right after the other.

Plaque is a slimy, white film that is easily removed with your toothbrush or floss. Tartar is plaque that has hardened. This means that the plaque was there for a long time and actually became hard. This needs to be scaled off with an instrument.

The proper order for oral hygiene is..... floss, brush, scrap the tongue, rinse. However, the order is not as crucial as the thoroughness of it all!

I'm also going to give you a "good job Melody"!! =)

Bryanna

Originally Posted by MelodyL

Wow, did I get a lesson this morning. I have the dental cleaning things (with the safety tops on them). in my bathroom medicine chest.

This morning, I took it out, took off the protective rubber cap and sanitized it.

I then marched over to my new mirror that I had purchased from Brookstone (it's a 20x magnification mirror), and I looked in my mouth.

YOU REALLY SEE YOUR TEETH in this mirror.

I have been using the Oral B Smart series for several weeks now. All my teeth looked fine EXCEPT FOR THE BACK OF TWO OF MY FRONT TEETH.

There was this white line around the back of two of the teeth.

I took my dental pick and GENTLY scraped off the white stuff. It came off. I had to do a bit of digging. I never went near my gum line. I just took the white stuff off. After a bit of learning how to take it off, I got the hang of it. The white stuff came off and I said "wow, I actually can do this".

I imagine this was tartar that I had missed when brushing?

I them rinsed out my mouth with a bit of warm salt water and my mouth felt nice and clean.

It's like I have a new purpose in life now. Not to get any tartar (or to get a little as I possibly get).

I did the research and Biotene has enzymes that get the Bio-film off of you teeth.

So I just got back form CVS and I got Toms of Maine, and a bottle of Biotene (that has a green sticker on that says "gets rid of plaque".

Seems there a two kinds of Biotene.

Well, after going out for breakfast and buying these items, I then came home, and brushed with Toms of Maine, (didn't do the biotene get). the Toms of Maine left a lovely feeling in my mouth.

Because I have a question.

What is the exact order of brushing flossing and using Biotene (when one gets up in the morning).

Is it Brush, floss, use Biotene??

Because if Biotene gets rid of the bio-film, doesn't it make more sense to use Biotene first, then brush, then floss.

I just want to get the order in which I do these steps...correct.

Thanks much

P.S. the Oral B Smart Series really does do the trick. I mean, I only saw the tartar on two of my back teeth. And now THAT'S GONE.

I gather that if I continue to keep my teeth in this fashion, the next time I go for a cleaning, I might be told.

"GOOD JOB, MELODY"


lol

Mel

[MelodyL]

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi Melody,

The most effective way to remove plaque from your teeth is brushing and flossing properly. It is not so much what is on the toothbrush or in the mouthwash that removes the plaque... it is the mechanical action of brushing and flossing that does the trick. Within 45 minutes of brushing your teeth, plaque begins to form irrelevant of whether you have eaten or not. Plaque is a film of bacteria that is produced by the chemistry in our saliva. So irrelvant of what you rinse with or how many times you brush, you are going to produce plaque. The idea is to thoroughly remove the accumulation of plaque no less than twice a day by brushing and flossing..... especially at bedtime.

Biotene is really meant to be used by people who have an excessively dry mouth due to medications, radiation treatment, illness.... etc. However, it does not work as well as plain ole Xylitol and unlike Xylitol, Biotene contains fluoride, preservatives and dyes.

Even though you are "only" rinsing with a mouthwash, you are bathing the oral tissue, the tonsils and the nasal mucosa in the back of the throat with the ingredients in the mouthwash which is penetrating into these areas every time you use the rinse. There is no need to do that and it can be harmful. That's why if you are going to use mouthwash, it is important to use a product that does not disrupt or kill the good bacteria in your mouth.

A good example of a toothpaste that contains helpful, harmless cleaning agents that are actually good for our teeth and gums and has ingredients that help reduce the acidity in our mouths is .... Jason PowerSmile toothpaste and Jason Powersmile Mouthwash. They both have similar ingredients which means they are not going to be counterproductive if you use one right after the other.

Plaque is a slimy, white film that is easily removed with your toothbrush or floss. Tartar is plaque that has hardened. This means that the plaque was there for a long time and actually became hard. This needs to be scaled off with an instrument.

The proper order for oral hygiene is..... floss, brush, scrap the tongue, rinse. However, the order is not as crucial as the thoroughness of it all!

I'm also going to give you a "good job Melody"!! =)

Bryanna

Hi. I just checked my bottle of Biotene Mouthwash. It has no fluoride, and it does contain Xylitol. This bottle is Biotene PBF Mouthwash.

Maybe I got lucky with this version of Biotene? I'm not getting rid of this. Cost me nine bucks today.

Next time, WHO KNOWS??

lol

Thanks much

Melody

[sandy60]

Originally Posted by MelodyL

Hi. I just checked my bottle of Biotene Mouthwash. It has no fluoride, and it does contain Xylitol. This bottle is Biotene PBF Mouthwash.

Maybe I got lucky with this version of Biotene? I'm not getting rid of this. Cost me nine bucks today.

Next time, WHO KNOWS??

lol

Thanks much

Melody

I have both Biotene's, the regular and the PBF. Neither has fluoride but the PBF tastes weird. I like the regular better BUT the taste isn't a factor if the PBF does a better job. I like the idea of the xylitol preventing cavities.

[MelodyL]

Originally Posted by sandy60

I have both Biotene's, the regular and the PBF. Neither has fluoride but the PBF tastes weird. I like the regular better BUT the taste isn't a factor if the PBF does a better job. I like the idea of the xylitol preventing cavities.

I think this whole thing is a hoot (THAT I AM EVEN ABLE TO DISCUSS DENTAL MATTER ON A DENTAL MESSAGE BOARD)

You have no idea how my mind has been ruled by my teeth. It's the one nemesis I could never over-come (until I found my phobia dentist), and even THEN, even after I had 3 cleanings, I got too afraid (fear rules the mind), and only because my back tooth was killing me and I found myself walking the streets on July 3rd, trying to find a dentist to pull that tooth...and they were all closed for the holiday, well I KNEW I HAD TO DO SOMETHING.

So I phoned my phobia guy and his sister is his receptionist and I explained and I made the appointment.

And when I got this new toothbrush, and the water pik, and began looking in my magnifying mirror, WELL, NOW IT'S ALL ABOUT SAVING MY TEETH and my smile.

Never even thought I had a shot. But hey, if I could lose over 100 lbs, change my eating lifestyle, get my diabetes under control well, if I can do THAT!!!! I can do ANYTHING.

So now I find myself at my friend's house last night talking about my past dental experiences and I said out loud: "you know, this is amazing, I would have never been able to even talk about teeth and dental procedures, and now look at me, I'm sitting on your porch and we are talking about teeth.

My phobia dentist has all these booklets and brochures about dental fear and on one page it describes HOW REALLY PHOBIC a person can be.

One man melts wax and conforms it to his rotted teeth so he can eat food.

Very sad. I read many of the stories. These people were not born afraid. They had such bad dental experiences that they became phobic.

I'm on a mission to save the world from Dental Phobia and Anxiety.

lol

Melody

[anna_rdh]

In addition to what Brianna said i would mention PERIDEX that contains Clorhexidine.
This is the only FDA approved ingredient that improves oral health in patients that suffer gingivitis or periodontitis. It contains medicinal ingredients and can only be prescribed by a Dentist, Typically prescribed for patients with moderate to severe periodontitis. You can not find it over the counter. ( May be i lower dosages)
As per the rest of the products what they mean by ( fights the plaque ) is : Mouthwashes like listerine crest etc reduce the level of bacteria but it doesn't remove plaque. It helps reducing the factors that cause plaque would be a better definition.
Plaque can only be removed mechanically ( brushing flossing scaling) Even Waterpik... Many Dental professionals are skeptic about the real effects on plaque removal.