“Use with moderation”: this could be the little phrase written on the bottles of mouthwash products. The objective of these oral hygiene products is to lower the level of bacteria in order to prevent (or treat) gingivitis and periodontal disease. They are normally used after each brushing, so a maximum of two or three times a day. But, according to Dr David Conway, dentist and lecturer at Glasgow Dental School, many people use these products several times a day, to freshen their breath. This, in the long run, risks causing cancer of the mouth or throat.
For his study, Dr Conway drew on a previous Australian study from 2009 which concluded “that there was sufficient evidence showing that mouthwashes containing alcohol contribute to an increased risk of cancer because they allow carcinogens to better penetrate the lining of the mouth “.
Dr Conway and his team evaluated 1962 people with cancer and 1993 healthy people in 9 different countries. “My conclusion is: I do not recommend the daily use of mouthwash. Period.” He admits, however, that people who frequently use mouthwashes also do so to mask smells of tobacco or alcohol, which are in themselves risk factors for throat cancer.
But avoiding too much mouthwash doesn’t mean not doing any mouthwash at all. Indeed, a previous study showed that the lack of oral hygiene also caused the development of serious diseases such as throat or mouth cancer.
