Is Mouthwash Harming Your Oral Microbiome?
The active ingredients in mouthwash could be killing off the good probiotic bacteria in your mouth and digestive system!
Your oral microbiome contains thousands of bacteria that work harmoniously with your gut microbiome to promote a healthy body and immune system.
The health of your mouth reflects the health of your body. In fact, bad breath can be a symptom that your microbiome is out of balance.
When bad breath occurs, many of us reach for mouthwash brands such as Listerine or Crest that claim to kill “99% of germs”. But these conventional mouthwashes are not just killing the harmful bacteria, but the good bacteria as well! So while they may temporarily rid you of bad breath, they are also causing microbiome imbalances within your body!
In fact one study found that one week of using a mouthwash containing chlorhexidine altered the oral microbiome, lowered saliva pH levels, increased acidity and heightened the risk of tooth damage!
On the topic of mouthwash ingredients, here are three of the most common ingredients in mouthwash that could be harming your microbiome:
Alcohol
Hydrogen peroxide
Chlorhexidine