BBC Focus Magazine

[erykpilat]

Why brush your teeth if the mouthwash liquids clean 99.9% of your mouth ?

[M Paul Lloyd]

you still need to get the bits of food out from between your teeth.

[Nails]

My dentist recommends brushing twice a day, and as i know he isn't trying to sell me anything I accept his wisdom.

As the adverts are trying to sell us something I am naturally skeptical about what they say.
And, I personnaly feel that my teeth are cleaner after I brush.
Far cleaner than just using mouthwash.

[Ush]

Dentists used to tell us to brush 3 times a day. I wonder why they now say advise us to brush twice?

[Hyrulian Outlaw]

I brush my teeth with warm water and rinse it with cold after, don't know if there is a benefit but I figure everything else you want to clean (clothes, pots, body, hair - not the car though!) is cleaned with warm water.

[Shadowwolf]

Why brush your teeth if the mouthwash liquids clean 99.9% of your mouth

Marketing so you will think that buying the product is a good idea, which as your title indicates you are already aware of.

Mouthwash is a good addition to dental and oral hygiene but not an alternative to other hygiene activities as it does not clean one hundred percent nor does it claim to. As for frequencies, I'd guess that some of it is down to personal opinions, two times, three times, after every meal.

[Doonhamer]

I suspect that the mouthwash has a little asterix beside the claim with smallprint at the bottom saying something like "when used in conjunction with a brushing routine...."

[Nails]

Dentists used to tell us to brush 3 times a day. I wonder why they now say advise us to brush twice?

Dental hygiene is a simple matter, yet we all make out as if it is the worst thing in the world. All it takes is the brushing of your teeth two or three times a day, as well as the use of mouth wash and floss.

http://www.bdha.org.uk/

Interestingly, the NHS direct site states twice a day.....

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/dentalhealth/pages/dentalhealthintroduction.aspx

[Section 8]

HO, although i presume you would spit most of it out, i don't think your should use warm water to clean your teeth. Warm water contains more contaminants and dissolved metals gained from the pipes than cold water. We would all be saving lots of energy boiling our kettles full of already warm water if it were advisable to ingest. Only very hot water would possibly have any bacteria killing properties, but this would be too hot to brush your teeth with and a pointless venture. Warm water is helpful for heating the tough to remove oils from dishes, hair and clothes which makes them easier to wash off, but is not for killing the bacteria on them. Thats were the soap comes in.

[Shadowwolf]

Thats were the soap comes in.

So remember, when brushing your teeth always use cold water and soap.