We discovered: Mouthwash works

Sabina Muminović Last updated: 19 October 2023

Attention all health enthusiasts and self-improvement seekers! The secret to a healthier mouth might have been hiding in your bathroom cabinet all along!

We have some exciting news that will make you smile (literally). Our team of researchers has made a discovery that will change the way you approach your oral hygiene. Drumroll, please, science has spoken … Mouthwash works!

Yes, a simple daily mouthwash routine can make a world of difference for your overall health!

Our discovery

We asked our customers about their oral hygiene habits and analysed their answers. Let’s see what turned out!

Mouthwash lowers oral bioburden
85% of participants reported using mouthwash occasionally or never, only 15% reported using it at least once a day. We dove deeper and analysed the effect of mouthwash on oral bioburden. This term stands for the percentage of non-human DNA in your saliva belonging to microorganisms like bacteria and viruses.

Our findings showed that the group who uses mouthwash at least once a day has a significantly lower oral bioburden compared to those who don’t.

Why is bioburden important?

High bioburden or the amount of microbial DNA in your mouth is linked with poorer oral health. So your goal should be to lower yours – or keep it low – with proper oral hygiene and healthy habits.

For that, you need to know exactly what lives in your oral cavity and how it affects you. You can do that with MyOral microbiome test.

Mouthwash gets rid of caries-causing bacteria
We also explored the effect of mouthwash on caries-causing bacteria. In a group that uses mouthwash occasionally or never, we detected the presence of caries-causing bacteria in 10% of individuals.

However, in the group using mouthwash at least once a day, only 2% showed the presence of these bacteria. This means that using mouthwash daily drastically reduces the amount of bacteria that can lead to dental caries, preventing cavities and promoting better oral health.

For a deeper dive into oral microbiome and how you benefit from analysing it, jump to post Oral microbiome: What is it and why it matters (Note: for the time being, this blog is only available in English).

How do we conduct such research?

We sometimes ask our customers to complete questionnaires on their habits. This discovery came from analysing our customers’ answers to questionnaire about oral hygiene and results of MyOral microbiome test.

If you were among those who have answered the questionnaire, you have directly contributed to this discovery. How cool is that?

We understand that data privacy is a top concern for our customers, and we want to assure you that the data we used was completely anonymised. This means that there is no way the data we use in research can be linked to individuals or their data such as name and contact information.

How can this discovery help you?

If you have our Premium DNA test, MyOral is included in the package. So just hop into the app and explore what’s lurking in your saliva!

If your results show high bioburden and the presence of harmful bacteria, mouthwash could be the missing piece in your optimal oral care routine.

Did you know that oral health has an important influence on overall health? So keeping your teeth squeaky clean means you’re actively supporting your overall health too. A win-win!

Don’t have MyOral test yet?

Our bodies are quite picky – what works for me most likely won’t work for you. So how can you be sure which oral habits will keep your pearly whites in perfect condition!

With the help of your genes! Our saliva-based DNA tests can reveal your genetic predisposition for nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep, health, and more.

It’s time to add mouthwash to your daily routine and reap the benefits of better oral health!

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