Who wouldn't like to smell like mint and everything wonderful all the time? Everyone wants their mouth to smell fresh after a good date in case they get fortunate. The usefulness of a mouthwash bottle is never questioned. But did you know that using mouthwash to rinse your mouth more than once in a while may be doing you more harm than you previously thought?

The dentist advises against using mouthwash

In a recent Instagram video, Dr. Miles Madison, a dentist from California, provided insight into the topic. According to Dr. Madison, using mouthwash is akin to "carpet bombing" all the different types of bacteria in your mouth, including the beneficial ones.

"Many of these alcohol-based antiseptic mouthwashes are killing not just the bad bacteria but also a lot of the good bacteria. Nitric oxide, a molecule that is crucial to our body, is made by these beneficial bacteria."

According to the US government's National Library of Medicine, "within the vasculature, NO induces vasodilation, inhibits platelet aggregation, prevents neutrophil/platelet adhesion to endothelial cells, inhibits smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, regulates programmed cell death (apoptosis) and maintains endothelial cell barrier function."

"Therefore, you are lowering your body's capacity to generate nitric oxide if you are using mouthwashes that carpet bomb your entire mouth and kill both beneficial and harmful bacteria." For this reason, I advise against using these mouthwashes every day. Using these daily is a big no, but it's alright once in a while," said Dr Madison in the video.

The dentist was questioned about whether alcohol-free mouthwashes are superior. "Depends on the mouthwash," he said. Some of the ones without alcohol have extremely high concentrations of essential oils, which can also destroy the beneficial microorganisms.

Mouthwash also has an impact on the outcomes of your exercise

Although physical activity can help lower blood pressure, this effect is diminished if you rinse your mouth with antibacterial mouthwash rather than water. According to a 2019 study, oral bacteria are essential to this phenomenon. Nitric oxide, which aids in the opening of blood vessels, is produced by our bodies during physical activity. Nitric oxide transforms into nitrate after exercise, which is then transformed by mouth flora into nitrite, a chemical that maintains open blood vessels. This mechanism was inhibited when subjects used mouthwash, and their blood pressure didn't decrease as much. This demonstrates how crucial oral bacteria are to maintaining lower blood pressure following exercise.