An effective mouth rinse can deliver high fluoride and maximise bacterial kill

As discussed on the previous page, enamel erosion has a number of contributing factors and hence a number of measures are appropriate in its treatment.

A mouth rinse is not a treatment for such a condition. However, patients suffering loss of enamel may benefit from high fluoride delivery and a high level of bacterial kill. A suitable mouth rinse can provide these features.

Mouth rinses formulated for patients with enamel erosion often have much higher levels of fluoride than standard products, and may also have other components to enhance uptake. Such formulation enables them to increase tooth microhardness. The acid produced by bacteria is associated with dental caries – an effective antibacterial product can reduce plaque and the associated acidity.

Regular fluoride mouth rinse, formulated with fluoride levels of 100 ppm, when used after brushing with fluoridated toothpaste, has been shown not to adversely affect fluoride retention (i.e. brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste without rinsing compared to brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste followed by use of a fluoridated mouth rinse such as LISTERINE^® both deliver equivalent fluoride levels).¹.Read more about these studies.

However, products which are formulated with higher fluoride levels can provide significantly more fluoride than brushing with fluoridated dentifrice. In this study, a mouth rinse with 225 ppm fluoride significantly increased the mean salivary fluoride level versus brushing and flossing.¹

Salivary fluoride levels from brushing, brushing and flossing, and brushing, flossing and rinsing with 225 ppm fluoride mouth rinse¹

Adapted from Duckworth et al. 2009. LISTERINE^® brand was Listermint.

Salivary fluoride levels were doubled at the 10-minute mark when 225 ppm fluoridated mouth rinse was added to the brushing and flossing regime (p=0.00001).¹

 

References

1. Duckworth RM et al. Effects of flossing and rinsing with a fluoridated mouthwash after brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste on salivary fluoride clearance. Caries Res 2009; 43: 387–390.