Mouthwash for Children: A Full Parents’ Guide

09/28/2020

Children have to learn good dental habits at the early stage of development. Therefore, parents are always searching for variants to keep kids’ teeth healthy. Using mouthwash, children can positively influence their oral conditions applying additional dental hygiene. Here is a full parents’ guide on mouthwash for children that will help you make the right decision.

Safety of Mouthwash for Kids and Its Usage

Babies’ safety is the main thing parents consider before starting the usage of mouthwash. Two components that can be dangerous are fluoride and alcohol. The first one leads to fluorosis at an early age and can be harmful to teeth or change their color and texture. The second one is unacceptable for kids who can accidentally swallow some mouthwash. It is better to use alcohol-free child-friendly types.

For the safety of children, parents have to keep the essential rules:

Try to find alcohol and sugar-free types;
Check the label before buying mouthwash;
Consult the dentist before giving a product;
Do not provide mouthwash to kids under six years old;
Discuss the first use previously and supervise children;
Use a watch to specify the time when a child should spit out;
Contact your family doctor in case of kid’s dental emergencies like swallowing;

Remember that the mouthwash is designed not for consumption and it is prohibited to swallow it even if it doesn’t have any harmful ingredients. Also, mind that it is just an addition to children’s regular morning and evening oral procedures, not their substitutions.

Kids’ Recommended Age for Mouthwash Use

Mouthwash can have both negative and positive impacts on kids’ oral health, depending on age. It is essential to recognize the perfect time for starting using mouthwash as daily dental care. Here are the recommendations for various ages:

Kids under six years old. The American Dental Association recommends not to use this liquid for some reason in this age category. For example, fluorosis can damage teeth that are developing, or a kid can swallow toxic ingredients. So, it is better to wait a bit.
6 -12 years old. This age can be acceptable only if children know how to use mouthwash properly. Several first uses should be under the control of adults or after some practice (like rinsing and spitting out water instead of the mouthwash).
Teenagers. It is the best age category because teens are self-aware of their oral health needs, can benefit from fluoride, and think more about bad breath. Also, mouthwash will help to protect teeth surfaces that are difficult to access, which is why it is a great solution for teenagers wearing braces.

Benefits of Mouthwash

Mouthwash is an excellent addition to such a daily routine as brushing and flossing. It helps to improve dental health and eliminate bad breath, bacteria, and plaque. However, these are only the most famous and best-known benefits of it. There are many other advantages:

facilitating post-surgery recovery;
reaching areas that simple oral hygiene actions cannot;
Protecting cavity, in particular, thanks to the contained fluoride;
preventing teeth decays and reducing plaque, gingivitis;
boosting the effect of daily procedures and improving oral hygiene;
convenience in cleaning teeth from food after every meal when having braces;
cleaning teeth when a person does not have much time;
better than chewing gum for fresh breath and preventing bacteria from accumulating.

Warnings About Mouthwash

Dental health impacts the overall health, so making a mouthwash is an integral part of the everyday routine is sure to pay off with a bright smile and the wellbeing of your children. However, it is important to pay attention to how children use the mouthwash:

Make sure children are not overusing it, which can cause stains and darkness of teeth;
It may mask lousy breath, so children may rinse just to skip brushing teeth;
It can be dangerous for oral health because of inappropriate usage;
Harmful ingredients such as ethanol, chlorhexidine gluconate, methyl salicylate, and hydrogen peroxide can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, sleepiness, headache, and sore throat.

Mouthwash is an excellent additional tool for baby teeth. However, making it a part of children’s daily routine is acceptable only after pediatric professionals’ consultation. Skillful family dentists in Albuquerque can provide little patients with specific recommendations, examination, explanations, perfect service, and different types of effective mouthwash for overall dental health. An expert team from kids’ dentistry is ready to contribute to kids’ healthy oral future.