Question

A colleague recently claimed that rinsing your mouth after brushing your teeth is not good for your teeth. He was supported in this view by a dental hygienist. After brushing my teeth, I regularly use tooth rinses such as Colgate or Odol. They both claimed that this was good for the manufacturing companies, but not for the teeth. So what is right? A. K. in M.

Short answer

In principle, it is useful to allow the fluoride (from toothpastes) to remain in the oral cavity for as long as possible, where it strengthens the tooth enamel, reverses incipient caries and reduces the formation of caries-causing acids. If you don't mind the unpleasant feeling in your mouth when you don't rinse after cleaning your teeth, the slightly higher fluoride concentration in your mouth may give you a small prophylactic advantage.

The prophylaxis measures successfully introduced and supported by the Swiss dental profession and the SSO in Switzerland for decades are based on three pillars:

1. Regular and correct tooth brushing;

2. Regular fluoride application;

3. Low-sugar diet and avoidance of sugary snacks and drinks.

These measures have resulted in a worldwide unique reduction in tooth decay of up to 90 percent among Swiss adolescents!

Regularly use fluoride toothpaste

Your question relates to point 2 above. In principle, it is useful to allow the fluoride to remain in the oral cavity for as long as possible, where it strengthens the enamel, reverses incipient caries and reduces the formation of caries-causing acids. The question is therefore whether the concentration and therefore the benefit of the fluoride remaining in the oral cavity is significantly higher, so that tolerating the unpleasant feeling in the mouth when not rinsing is justified. The fluoride concentration in toothpastes is between 1000 and 1500 ppm (parts per million). When brushing your teeth without rinsingonly with spitting, about 400 ppm fluoride remains in the mouth. When brushing your teeth with light rinsing about 250 ppm fluoride remains in the mouth. Whether the 150 ppm higher fluoride concentration brings greater benefits when not rinsing is scientifically controversial.

Clean your teeth regularly

The most important thing is that you are not discouraged from cleaning your teeth regularly with a fluoride toothpaste by not rinsing and the resulting unpleasant feeling in your mouth. Those who wish to rinse lightly with water after brushing their teeth for reasons of comfort should do so. Those whose personal well-being in the mouth allows them to only spit out may receive a small prophylaxis benefit.

Mouthwash containing fluoride optional

The fluoride concentration of the fluoride-containing mouthwash is 250 ppm, which corresponds to the concentration that you can achieve in your mouth with a light rinse after cleaning your teeth. The mouthwashes are therefore primarily intended for personal comfort and, in addition to the company, are particularly beneficial for those who rinse their teeth very vigorously with water after brushing.

Author: Dr. med. dent. Jürg Eppenberger
Published in: Neue Luzerner Zeitung on December 15, 2008