Taking care of your oral health at home is important if you want your next checkup to result in not finding and cavities. You may be motivated to start using mouthwash as part of your preventative dental care routine in addition to brushing and flossing so that you can have that perfect checkup. However, there could be misconceptions you have about using mouthwash. Here are three things to know when you use mouthwash at home.

Mouthwash Shouldn't Burn When You Use It

Mouthwash is a great way to keep your mouth fresh during the day and to help cleanse your mouth. Since mouthwash contains alcohol, you may assume that a burning sensation when using it is to be expected.

The burning that you are experiencing is actually caused by nerve endings that are translating the pain sensation to your brain. If you have any small cuts or bruises in your mouth, that alcohol in the mouthwash is going to react in a way that causes a burning sensation. What is actually happening is the alcohol is pulling the heat away from your body, which leaves it feeling very cold and painful.

You shouldn't experience pain when you use mouthwash. The pain is actually an indication that you have a problem in your mouth. Talk to your dentist about the burning sensation, and they may be able to get to the bottom of where your mouth is injured.

Mouthwash Has A Right And Wrong Ways To Use It

It's important that you read the directions on your mouthwash to ensure that you are using it correctly. Some mouthwashes are a very high concentration of alcohol, and can benefit from being diluted with water prior to rinsing. You'll know if your mouthwash needs to be diluted because the label will say so.

You should also limit your rinsing to no more than a minute. Once again, there should be a recommended use time on the instructions found on the bottle, which will help ensure you are not irritating your gums by using the mouthwash.

Mouthwash Isn't An Alternative To Brushing And Flossing

Remember that mouthwash can help get rid of the germs and bacteria that you missed while brushing and flossing, and should not be use used instead of brushing and flossing. You need to keep those two tasks as part of your regular oral health routine if you want to have that perfect checkup when you visit your dentist every six months.

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