By: Mia Botanica
According to extensive marketing and persuasive commercials, conventional mouthwashes claim to kill bad breath and whiten teeth. While this may make for effective advertising, (and could possibly aid in making your breath good for a few minutes) eventually, it will make your breath worse than it was previously, and could have an overall adverse effect on your health.
As for the whiter teeth, it’s just not possible! Once these mouthwashes finish burning and drying out the mouth, there is no bacterial or pH balanced saliva left to do its job of neutralizing the bad breath or remineralizing the teeth.
Also, there have been many recent studies concerning the long-term use of alcohol-based mouthwashes and their negative impact on dental, oral and overall health. Most conventional mouthwashes contain alcohol along with a myriad of proven, unhealthy ingredients. Following is just a small amount of information on the dangers of these mouthwashes.
(1) Some researchers are concerned that the long-term use of products with alcohol may increase the risk of oral cancer.
(2) Using a conventional antiseptic mouthwash twice daily may increase blood pressure up to 3.5 millimeters of mercury (mmHg), raising your heart attack risk! Researchers believe using antiseptic mouthwash daily could increase the odds of High Blood Pressure, due to a chemical that kills the “good” bacteria responsible for helping the blood vessels relax. Read more here: http://www.medicaldaily.com/antiseptic-mouthwash-raises-heart-attack-risk-blood-pressure-chlorhexidine-kills-good-bacteria-helps
Following are more negative effects of conventional mouthwashes:
* Can destroy the bacterial balance within the mouth
* Can dry out the mouth causing insufficient saliva production which in turn inhibits natural remineralization and causes bad breath
* Can cause imbalances in pH levels (encourages an acidic atmosphere, which weakens enamel)
* Can worsen bad breath by stealing natural, necessary moisture
* Can cause uncomfortable mouth ulcers
* Can increase your risk for Oral and other Cancers
* Can cause the development of gingivitis
* Some contain sodium lauryl sulfate, linked to cancer, neurotoxicity, organ toxicity, skin irritation, and endocrine disruption
* Many contain Fluoride, linked to a host of health problems (read more in our post about Fluoride).
More toxic ingredients to avoid:
Chlorine Dioxide, a “hazardous gas” according to the CDC
Chlorhexidine, can cause contact dermatitis
Alcohol, long term use may increase oral cancer risk, high blood pressure and heart attacks
Cocamidopropyl Betaine, a moderate hazard according to the EWG
Parabens, endocrine disruptors
Formaldehyde, enhances the risk of developing cancer
Saccharin, cancer risk
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