Toothaches, canker sores, cavities, bad breath, inflammation of the gums… when they are regular, these symptoms will put you through hell! Recommended as a complement to toothbrushing and interdental cleaning, mouthwashes contain active elements that are supposed to strengthen the teeth and gums by providing a feeling of cleanliness and freshness.
But how to choose your mouthwash? If there is a panoply of them on our supermarket shelves, some opt for homemade products with everyday ingredients. However, you have to be wary of miracle cures that risk making an already present problem worse. “Le Figaro” takes stock with Pr Philippe Pirnay, head of the odontology department at the Henri Mondor hospital (Créteil, AP-HP) and university professor.
Mouthwash is a dental solution that is used pure or diluted and kept in the mouth while gargling, generally for 30 seconds to one minute, to clean the oral area or treat a pathology. “Whatever the brand or the composition, mouthwashes have the same goal: to neutralize the bacteria present on the tongue or the oral cavity and prevent their reappearance”, specifies Professor Pirnay.
But beware, mouthwashes come in several forms depending on their use and the needs of the patient. We will thus distinguish:
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Quick to make, inexpensive, made from available and easily accessible ingredients, homemade mouthwashes have the advantage of being easy to make. “In general, a ready-made mouthwash contains an antiseptic, fluoride and alcohol. At home, patients have the possibility to remove the elements they deem superfluous, add those they want, controlling both the style, such as taste and color, as well as the quality and origin of the products. chosen", explains Professor Pirnay.
Being able to control the composition of your mouthwash can be a motivation to have good dental hygiene. “In the dentistry profession, we are often faced with the difficulty of motivating a patient to follow the prescription correctly, especially if it is for daily use. When the patient realizes his own mouthwash, he feels involved, recommends it to those around him, believing that it is a miracle cure, so that he will continue to use it. This patient cooperation is therefore particularly satisfying for us,” adds Professor Pirnay.
However, the latter raises an underlying problem in the manufacture of homemade mouthwashes: that of reproducibility. Indeed, how to be precise in the dosage? Very often, when we use a teaspoon, we never put the same amount of product from one mouthwash to another and the dosage ends up being coarse. “Thus homemade mouthwashes are not very reproducible and their composition is very random, therefore scientifically unrecommendable. Especially since these are often grandmother's recipes for which there are few or no serious scientific studies. »
Taking the initiative to do daily care with homemade mouthwashes is not a mistake in itself. On the other hand, without a prescription or instructions for use, there is a risk of not treating or even worsening a problem. Indeed, the misuse of certain products is not without danger.
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Mouthwash is not a trivial product and the advice of your doctor or dental surgeon is crucial for in-depth treatment. First, because the problem that we want to solve can actually be the symptom of a serious pathology. “When I was a young practitioner, a lady came to consult me for a sore throat that wouldn't go away. His pharmacist had recommended a mouthwash which had no effect after three months, recalls Professor Pirnay. In fact, after auscultation, I detected oral cancer at an already very advanced stage. »
As for the virtues of homemade, Professor Pirnay remains skeptical: “As a dental surgeon, I think that the mouthwashes prepared by the pharmaceutical industry are more interesting in terms of quality composition. Why ? Manufacturers dose to the nearest caliber, are subject to controls and recommendations based on reliable studies and not on grandmother's remedies. In addition, the use made of mouthwashes will differ from one patient to another depending on the problem: preventing the formation of dental caries, strengthening the teeth, acting on bleeding gums or on halitosis. “In commercial mouthwashes, we know the risks of use because these mouthwashes have been studied. We can prescribe them knowingly, which is not the case with homemade mouthwashes. ".
Finally, remember that mouthwashes are not essential. “People who have good oral hygiene and who have no gum problems do not need to use an antibacterial mouthwash”. And Professor Pirnay insists: “A mouthwash does not and will never replace brushing your teeth. »
