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Which Mouthwash is Best for Me? The Answer: Alcohol-Free
If you're under the impression that your mouthwash must burn to do its job effectively, take a seat ...
That burn? It's alcohol. The only job it's 'doing' for you is undoing the work you've done looking after your mouth.
Aside from the fact that rinsing with an alcohol-based mouthwash is a specialist endurance test that has your soft tissues screaming for mercy and makes you sound like a dog with kennel cough when you spit it out, its alcohol content causes problems for your oral health – dry mouth and tissue irritation chief among them.
AND, BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, HERE ARE ...
The halitosis headlines
In the past, hoping for fresher breath meant reaching for mouthwash. But alcohol-based mouthwash – particularly ones whose alcohol content is as high as a quarter of their composition – contributes to bad breath because it dries the mouth. A drier mouth lets decay-causing bacteria thrive, ramping up production of the volatile sulphur compounds behind that bad breath smell. Oh, the irony.
The ‘hangover’ highlights
High alcohol content is still used as a mouthwash ingredient by some brands, particularly those relying on essential oils, because it's a solvent and preservative, but it's so last century. The real anti-bacterial heroes and other active clinical ingredients in a mouthwash don't need alcohol to do their good work. You could say those ingredients are entirely teetotal!
And now some good news!
All this doesn’t mean you should be done with mouthwash. Choose your formulation carefully and it forms a brilliant combo with your brushing and interdental routine to keep oral health ticking along nicely during the day. Choose wisely from alcohol-free ranges like our family of VITIS Mouthwashes - and you’ll get the benefits of clinically meaningful ingredients that support your oral health beyond the bathroom sink, without the scorched earth approach of more, ahem, traditional formulations.
Alcohol-free mouthwash? Don’t mind if we do!
None of the 'hard stuff' but all of the hardworking ingredients
YOUR MOUTH’S RIDE OR DIE RINSE IS SANS ALCOHOL
Combat bacteria, your mouth’s arch enemy, and opt for alcohol-free formulations
Ingredients such as cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and xylitol help reduce the bacteria that contribute to tooth decay – so far, so good. The problem is alcohol-based mouthrinses set up the dry mouth conditions that favour bacteria. These conditions help bacteria recolonise more easily.
Streptococcus mutans, the main culprit in decay, loves a dry mouth because it thrives in the more acidic environment that a drier mouth creates. And the double bind is that, not only is a dry mouth likely to be more acidic from what you’ve eaten or sipped, but S. mutans creates even more acid as a byproduct of feasting on that food.
Ditch the alcohol content from your mouthwash by choosing a VITIS Mouthwash and you’re already one up on bacteria. Plus, saliva, your mouth’s natural best friend, can go about its job more successfully:
- Rinsing away food
- Clearing sugars
- Buffering and neutralising acid
- Delivering minerals back to your enamel
- Contributing to the way food tastes
- Helping keep decay-causing bacteria in check
We know, busy times for saliva, right? In short, saliva’s your unsung oral health hero. Why let that alcohol content dry it up? .
BUT WE HEAR YOU WONDERING:
If saliva does all that, why am I bothering with mouthwash at all?
By using the right alcohol-free rinse, at the right time, you can improve gum health, fight decay, hit your orthodontic compliance goals or whiten and brighten your smile in between brushing.
Find those in between brushing times:
- Mid-morning or mid-afternoon
- After you’ve had lunch or sunk a latte
- After a workout because breathing hard usually involves mouth breathing
- When you feel like you need a fresh breath pick-me-up. Hello, Valentine!
Talk about keeping the good oral health times rolling!
BEYOND RESPECTING SALIVA BALANCE AND DELICATE TISSUES
Alcohol-free mouthwash removes a layer of worry for many people
Children and teens
Dentists recommend alcohol-free formulas for younger users, who are more likely to accidentally swallow a rinse.
People in recovery
Even trace exposure to alcohol can be an unwelcome trigger.
Those avoiding alcohol for religious or personal reasons
No oral health compromise required.
Anyone taking medications that cause dry mouth
Alcohol only compounds the problem. It’s worth remembering that a dry mouth can be relieved with XyliMelts – they're mouth moisturisers that also keep bacteria in check.
GET ON THE MULTIFUNCTIONAL MOUTHWASH WAGON
Go alcohol-free with your mouthwash and arm your saliva with clinical sidekicks
Ready to go alcohol-free with your mouthwash but need help choosing the mouthwash for you?
Solve the conundrum and choose from four core functions.
Been caught in the dry mouth decay trap? Here’s the solution:
Choose an alcohol-free mouthwash that actively combats caries (you know - dentist speak for decay) by caring for enamel and improving the microbiome of your mouth over time. Alcohol-free VITIS Anti-Caries Mouthwash with Nano Repair won’t wage war on tissues or saliva but will go to battle on decay. Caring for teeth in this way is particularly important if you have an acidic diet or a dry mouth.
It has two main functions:
1. Its clinically active ingredients repair, revitalise and protect enamel
Saliva delivers minerals to teeth, but on its own it can't supply fluoride or hydroxyapatite. This mouthwash delivers nanohydroxyapatite which remineralises teeth with the very substance they’re naturally made from, and fluoride to work alongside and keep enamel strong.
2. Over time, it reduces problematic bacteria
With xylitol in the formulation, s. mutans bacteria is fooled into thinking it's found a food source but exhausts itself trying to metabolise unavailable energy. Now, saliva’s good but it can’t do that!
Don't betray your sensitive oral tissues and delicate gums, befriend them instead
We all want to do our mouth a favour – because if it's sore, we know about it. That's why alcohol-free mouthwash is the teammate you want onside. A drier mouth means more gum irritation; no alcohol means you’re stacking the odds back in your favour. Choose wisely with alcohol-free VITIS Healthy Gums Mouthwash and, rather than stressing already-sensitive tissue, you get something closer to a spa break for gums under pressure. It'll work to counteract the biology behind bleeding, puffy or sore gums caused by pregnancy, diabetes, smoking or vaping, and immunosuppressant medications.
Its dynamic duo of functions:
1. Keep plaque-causing bacteria under control
Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) targets the bacteria whose toxins inflame gums, while zinc lactate keeps CPC working for longer. Plaque has less chance to accumulate, and the risk of gingivitis reduces.
2. Soothe and help gums recover
Panthenol (provitamin B5) calms irritation and supports moisture retention, giving stressed gum tissue the conditions it needs to heal rather than staying on the back foot.
In braces and aligners, it’s best to straighten out from alcohol
Brackets, wires and aligner trays can rub and irritate. None of us want to further aggravate mouth ulcers or cuts with alcohol’s harsh ways – ouch! But there’s no dread when you’re rinsing with a mouthwash that respects your mouth. Plus, it’s worth remembering that some research suggests alcohol-based mouthwash can soften the adhesives that keep brackets or attachments sticking to your pearly whites.
Swooshing with VITIS Orthodontic Mouthwash won’t set your tissues screaming. Phew!
It has a ‘brace’ of functions:
1. It targets plaque in all the hard-to-reach spots
CPC’s antibacterial properties get into the nooks and crannies around brackets and work into crowding and gaps, keeping bacterial biofilm from taking hold in between that all-important brushing.
2. It protects enamel and soothes soft tissue
Sodium fluoride helps guard against demineralisation around brackets and inside aligners (which create a drier environment in the mouth as par for the course anyway), while xylitol works against decay-causing bacteria and allantoin and aloe vera help soothe any ulceration caused by rubbing.
Learn more about the benefits of orthodontic mouthwash for fixed brace or aligner wearers by checking out our helpful resources.
Whiter, brighter teeth, minus the hard stuff
Choosing VITIS Whitening Mouthwash helps you keep lifting stains and looking after your enamel beyond the sink. In a meeting? Meeting up with friends? Mid-afternoon nap (cheeky!)? This mouthwash will still be helping top up a stain resistant wash. It works with your teeth, not against them. And, if you’ve had professional whitening treatment, this is the mouthwash you need to keep stains from coming back.
It has two main functions:
1. It lifts and prevents stains
A triple phosphate system – tetrapotassium pyrophosphate, sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate – holds back tartar build-up before it starts, while polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) gets to work removing and preventing surface stains from tea, coffee, wine and tobacco.
2. It repairs and protects enamel while it whitens
Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles – a natural component of tooth enamel itself – integrate into the tooth surface, filling in irregularities and helping to reduce sensitivity, while sodium monofluorophosphate remineralises enamel and guards against decay.
LOSE THE BURN AND ADOPT A FUTURE-PROOF HABIT
Stack the good habits
Remember any mouthwash does its best work alongside a twice-a-day brushing and interdental routine.
Rinse in between brushing with an alcohol-free mouthwash and let the clinical-grade ingredients respect, protect and fortify your mouth's defences.
That way, clinical-grade toothpaste works for you at the sink and for up to an hour beyond, and clinical-grade mouthwash extends the benefits in between and after eating or drinking.
