Listerine

My staff and I have noticed a dramatic increase in patients with intraoral lesions and soft tissue irregularities directly related to the overuse of Listerine particularly and mouthwashes in general. Many people mistakenly think that Listerine will cure any intraoral problems they have (i.e. bad breath, or sores.) Unfortunately, this is erroneous thinking, as most mouthwashes contain high levels of alcohol which is a desiccant, or actually dries out tissue. This can worsen your breath or make any sore or lesion heal poorly. Bad breath is more properly treated by having your teeth cleaned regularly and by using a tongue blade or tongue scrapper. We have dishwasher safe tongue scrappers available for $15.00. Intraoral sores or lesions are better treated with a mild solution of salt water, mixing 1/8 teaspoon of salt in 8oz of warm water. If a sore or lesion persists for more than 7 days it should be evaluated by a health care professional. If you, or someone you love has persistent bad breath or a mouth sore that won’t heal, please call our office for an evaluation.

Sincerely,

Michael W. Dagostino, D.D.S.

Comments are closed.