Fluoride Mouth Wash

Smiles4KidsBlog

We have long recommended the routine use of a fluoride mouth rinse as a part of daily oral health care. The fluoride from mouth wash is absorbed into the tooth enamel, dental plaque and saliva, where it helps prevent dental cavities.   There are studies dating back to the 1970s and 80s indicating that in some communities, fluoride mouth rinse reduced the prevalence of cavities by over 30%! Our favorite brand of mouth rinse is ACT.

We recommend using it once a day, after brushing. There are two important recommendations concerning using the mouthwash.

  • You have to rinse for a full minute…really get in there and swish with it! You will maximize the effectiveness of the product this way.
  • Try not to have anything to eat or drink for at least a half hour afterwards, including water. We don’t want to rinse off all of that great fluoride.

The most important thing to remember when administering mouth wash to a child is to make sure that they are able to swish and SPIT! You don’t want them rinsing and swallowing the mouth rinse. We recommend its’ use once a parent is certain their child is able to spit, on a case by case basis.

Check out the CDC posting on fluoride for more info!

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5014a1.htm