Can mouth rinses damage your oral health?

(NewsUSA) - Americans enjoy a nice, white smile, but that still doesn't stop them from eating and drinking the sugary foods that result in tooth decay and stains. It's not surprising, then, that Americans spend billions of dollars each year on oral hygiene products and tooth whiteners.

But sugar alone isn't the primary cause of tooth decay and cavities. The problem lies within the combination of our mouths' bad bacteria and the sugar. The bad bacteria break down sugars into lactic acid, which in turn deteriorates the protective enamel coating on our teeth.

The dilemma is that both good and bad bacteria live in the mouth. Poor oral health care can cause the bad bacteria to overwhelm the good bacteria, leading to unpleasant breath and, even worse, cavities and tooth decay. Many oral health care products treat the resulting symptoms without addressing the underlying causes of poor oral health care. Conventional mouth rinses are just a topical, temporary fix, killing both good and bad bacteria but, because some bad bacteria may repopulate the mouth more quickly than good bacteria, mouth rinses really only provide a short-term fix and may actually worsen the original problem.

Consumers don't have to resign themselves to stained teeth or mouth odor due to the ineffectiveness of mouthwashes. In addition to brushing, flossing, avoiding sugary foods and going to the dentist, research shows the answer might be just what nature intended.

Dr. Jeffrey Hillman, DMD, Ph.D., who has spent more than 30 years researching oral health, has identified three unique probiotic strains that are natural residents in healthy mouths. This special blend of probiotics, patented as ProBiora3, forms colonies of beneficial bacteria on the teeth and gums, where they crowd out harmful bacteria.

These beneficial bacteria naturally support optimal gum and tooth health, freshen breath and, by releasing a continuous, low dose of hydrogen peroxide, gently whiten teeth. Because bacteria are microscopic, probiotic health care products can penetrate areas of the mouth otherwise untouchable by other oral health care products, including under orthodontic braces and retainers and below the gumline.