Numerous people rinse with mouthwash on a daily basis, in order to support their oral health. Yet, if not used properly, the mouthwash can actually endanger your health.
Research has linked various commercial mouthwashes, including Listerine, to the raised risk of oral cancer.
Statistics points out that nearly 48,000 Americans and over 640,000 people around the world are diagnosed with this cancer type annually.
Oral cancer can develop on the mouth floor, on the cheeks or gums, as well as on the tongue. Newest studies suggest that mouthwashes may be responsible for numerous cases of development of oral cancer.
Namely, these products contain alcohol, numerous chemicals, and toxins, which endanger oral health every time you gargle. We will list some of the most common ingredients in mouthwashes, so you can indicate the potential risks f their use:
Alcohol: Alcohol leads to bad breath, as it dries out the mucous membranes and lowers the amount of saliva. Moreover, it destroys the balance of pH in the throat and mouth. According to the Dental Journal of Australia, alcohol significantly raises the risk of developing oral, head and neck cancers.
Chlorhexidine
Researchers claim that this chemical in mouthwash increases blood pressure.
The journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine published a study which confirmed that the use of mouthwash twice a day raises blood pressure and causes serious heart issues. Also, this chemical destroys the good bacteria in the body, whose role is to relax the blood vessels.
Hexetidine (oraldene)
Excessive amounts of this chemical, if ingested, cause clotting of certain neural and sensory functions of the brain, and thus leads to failure of their activity over time. It has also been found to cause allergies, unstable heartbeat, and experts believe it is carcinogenic.
Methyl Salicylate
Only a tablespoon of this harmful substance equals 23 300mg aspirin pills, so an overdose causes various severe consequences, including low blood pressure, kidney failure, vomiting, loss of vision, convulsions, difficulty breathing, and much more.
Methylparaben
Research has found this common chemical in mouthwashes, deodorants, and skin creams, within breast cancer tissues, and experts suggest that its use speeds up tumor growth and leads to an increased risk of breast cancer.
One study included patients suffering from existing periodontal disease, who changed their dietary habits, and based their diet on fruits, vegetables, potatoes, whole grains, spices, lentils, beans, and water.
Participants were asked to maintain their regular oral hygiene habits, and in the end, they proved that healthy foods supported oral health and helped them prevent and treat further complications.
Nowadays, scientists also show that despite sugar, numerous other foods negatively affect our oral health.
Yet, there is a natural and extremely effective option you can use in order to use a safer alternative to mouthwash- green tea!
Studies have shown that rinsing with this natural tea prevented plaque bacteria growth in minutes! To be more specific, only after 7 minutes of the use of green tea, the number of dangerous bacteria in the plaque was reduced by half!
Furthermore, researchers tested chlorhexidine against green tea, and discovered that the tea is much more effective in reducing plaque, and it does not include all those harmful chemicals we have listed above.
Therefore, start using green tea instead of your common mouthwash in order to promote oral health, and avoid various severe side-effects!