Is it enough to rinse my teeth with mouth wash daily instead of brushing my teeth with a brush and toothpaste? What are the best ways to protect our teeth from cavities and tooth decay?

Question

Everyone loves a shortcut in life, from earning money while sleeping, to having a healthy set of teeth without brushing. I am no exception when it comes to shortcuts in life. I saw an advertisement for antibacterial mouth wash which will kill 99% of bad breath germs. This intrigues me and it gave me an idea to explore ways to make it easier to clean our teeth without the need to routinely brush our teeth daily.

I am a fan of brushing my teeth and I do it twice daily. My dental hygienist praises the beauty and cleanliness of my teeth condition. However, sometimes when I am tired or feeling lazy, I just feel like it is okay to simply use mouth wash to rinse my mouth and then go to bed right after that. Will it bring about any harm to my teeth condition? I mean in terms of cavity and tooth decay.

My grandfather used to practise the habit of only rinsing his mouth with mouth wash daily instead of brushing his teeth. He was 85 years old and he still had a good set of teeth. But I was noticing the color of his teeth getting yellowish and stained. Then he finally had to go to a dentist to get his teeth cavity removed and have a few tooth implants performed on his gums. He was just being lazy or perhaps he wanted to save some money.  I guess using mouth wash alone is not so effective in protecting our teeth from decay and cavities.

Answer 1

Mouth rinsing with mouth wash solution alone won't help you fight tooth decay or cavity. You should include it as part of the daily habits along with regular teeth brushing and flossing. The mouthwashes these days have advanced so much that they do help partially in reducing gingivitis, tooth decay, tartar, and even improve teeth whitening.

Some of the advantages of using Mouthwash are:

1. It freshen your breath by killing off bad breath causing bacteria leaving you with the sweet minty fresh breath.

2. It helps in preventing Plaque build up on your gums and in between teeth or on surface of your teeth.

3. Rinsing teeth with Mouthwash helps in removing particles and bacteria in those areas in your mouth that brushing and flossing can't reach.

4. It is very effective in stopping cavity from forming if used regularly. You should buy the ones which contains fluoride and the right method is to use it either before or after brushing and flossing.

Benefits of brushing and flossing teeth:

1. Brushing your teeth daily twice a day prevent tooth decay and cavities. Flossing removes food particles that could get stuck in between your teeth which could harbour bacteria if left unremoved.

2. Brushing stimulates your gums and flossing also provides good stimulation to your gums making it stronger and healthier. They also helps in prevention of gum disease. If you are someone who also smokes or chew tobacco in your mouth, it becomes more necessary to brush often and floss every single time you make those tobacco habits.

3. If you want a stain free set of teeth, then brushing along with flossing is the way to go. Ever wonder how some actress or models have such a beautiful set of white teeth? The secret is in their good brushing and flossing habits.

4. Brushing is a quick efficient way of freshening your bad breath. Don't scare your partner away with your bad breath. Get rid of all the bad breath causing bacteria which comes from the food you eat.