Mouth Rinses Can Help Prevent Bad Breath But Some Cause Temporary Staining

Over-the-counter mouth rinses really do put a stop to bad breath. The first systematic review on the effectiveness of mouth rinses shows that they play an important role in reducing levels of bacteria and chemicals that cause mouth odors. Pick which one you use though, because some can temporarily stain your tongue and teeth, warns this new review from The Cochrane Library.

Bad breath is a very common complaint affecting around half the population in developed countries. The smell is generated by bacteria that accumulate on the tongue and produce sulfur compounds including hydrogen sulfide. This is the same compound that makes rotten eggs smell bad. To combat this, mouth rinses are classified in two categories, those that kill the bacteria producing the sulfur compounds and those that neutralize or mask the odor of these compounds. Antibacterial mouth rinses are widely used to treat bad breath, despite some uncertainty about their effectiveness.

“We found that antibacterial mouth rinses, as well as those containing chemicals that neutralize odors, are actually very good at controlling bad breath,’ says lead researcher, Zbys Fedorowicz, who works at the Ministry of Health in Bahrain.

Although the different mouth rinses had similar effects on odors, the researchers point out that products containing chlorhexidine resulted in noticeable but temporary staining of the tongue and teeth, and also can temporarily alter taste sensations.

The review, carried out by a team of Cochrane Researchers, included the results of five separate trials involving 293 participants. The team found that mouth rinses employing antibacterial agents such as chlorhexidine and cetylpyridinium were significantly more effective than placebos in reducing mouth odors, as judged by human noses. Mouth rinses containing chlorine dioxide and zinc were more effective in neutralizing odor compounds.

Researchers also noted that more studies are needed to compare the effectiveness of different mouth rinses in treating bad breath. And they say that despite the growing trend for electronic assessment of mouth odors, the human nose should remain the gold standard.

“There’s no substitute for a human nose when it comes to sniffing out bad breath,” says Fedorowicz.

Fedorowicz Z, Aljufairi H, Nasser M, Outhouse TL, Pedrazzi V. Mouthrinses for the treatment of halitosis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD006701. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006701.pub2.

Source: Blackwell Publishing

Net News Publisher for World News