Bad breath is a multi-million dollar industry. Every year lots of pharmaceutical companies invest heavily in creating new oral hygiene products, while consumers spend an even larger amount of money searching for the perfect cure for their halitosis.



But are bad breath mouthrinses rip offs or do they really work?




In this article we’ll look at some of the different pros and cons of mouthwashes put forward by dental experts and researchers, as well as explaining why you may just be pouring your hard earned cash down the plug hole…



A Few Dollars Here And There Or A Never-Ending Expense?


Nowadays there are a huge range of mouthwashes and oral rinses to choose from – Listerine, Corsodyl, Dentyl, Lavoris, Listermint, Scope, Plax and Crest Pro-Health are just a few of the many different brands you may already have come across.



But while some mouthwashes may cost from as little as a few dollars, add up the cost of using them for a long period of time and you may just be surprised at how much money you’re actually spending…



A common complaint made by many bad breath sufferors is that mouthwashes only seem to mask the smell of their breath temporarily and they have to keep on using them continuously in an attempt to keep their breath in check.



Why The #1 Cause Of Bad Breath May Be Immune To Mouthwash


In fact, this is an issue that has also been highlighted by a number of dental experts who believe that not only do mouthwashes NOT cure bad breath, they can actually make your halitosis hell even worse.



This, they say, is down to the fact that mouthwashes are incapable of tackling the root cause of the vast majority of bad breath cases – namely, bacteria found in the mouth.



A key feature of these bacteria is that they are anaerobic, meaning that they survive – and indeed thrive – without oxygen. In regular amounts these bacteria play an important role in your body’s digestive processes by breaking down the proteins found in the foods you eat, as well as helping your body digest blood and diseased oral tissue.



When these bacteria come into contact with certain amino acids in foods, sulphur compounds known as Volatile Sulphur Compounds (VSC's) are produced in the mouth and throat. Normally the smells given off by these VSC's are unnoticeable, but when there are excessively large amounts of bacteria present they can quickly become offensive and rotten.



So How Exactly Can Bad Breath Mouthwashes Make These Bacteria Worse?


According to some dental experts, the problem with many different mouthwashes is that they contain a high percentage of alcohol – up to 25% in some of the leading brands.



Alcohol is a desiccant, i.e. a drying agent. It dehydrates you and causes your mouth to dry out. A dry mouth is one of the factors that can cause these mouth bacteria to multiply to excessive numbers, in turn releasing more VSC's and causing your breath to stink.



While mouthwashes may initially be successful at nuking lots of bacteria, the high alcohol content will soon dry both your mouth and saliva glands out, thereby creating exactly the kind of conditions that these bacteria thrive in.



So, Are ALL Mouthwashes A Waste Of Money?


Of course, as expected many manufacturers say that their products ARE effective in curing bad breath and that they have conducted their own studies which show that the alcohol contained within them doesn’t dry your mouth out, but that in actual fact their products increase saliva flow.



But who is right?



I guess perhaps the best thing is to consider whether long-term use of mouthwashes has had any positive impact on your own bad breath problem. If not, you’ve probably got your answer.



However, there may be a change on the horizon. Some experts are now taking note of a new breed of mouthwash on the market called Pro Fresh Oral Rinse which may prove to be more effective than its predecessors.



This particular mouthwash contains chlorine dioxide – an oxidizing agent which has been used in the purification of drinking water for many years. Its perceived advantages over other types of mouthwash are two-fold.



Firstly, as an oxidizing agent it releases oxygen and so this may help to reduce the number of anaerobic bacteria as they do not fare well in such conditions.



Secondly, chlorine dioxide is also believed to have the ability to actually neutralize and reduce the concentration of VSC’s in a person’s breath.



Why Your Hard Earned Cash May Be Better Spent On Other Types Of Bad Breath Remedies


So, as to the original question “are bad breath mouthrinses rip offs?”, it would appear that standard mouthwashes on their own are unlikely to be wholly effective in getting rid of your halitosis.



Instead, you may be better off considering alternative forms of treatment which look at actually preventing oral bacteria from getting out of control in the first place. Tackle the root of the problem and the symptoms should hopefully take care of themselves.



One particular report we found online looks at exactly this and offers some practical advice on a few simple steps that can be taken which should help cure your bad breath for good.

>> Click to read about a surefire bad breath cure <<

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