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Whether you want fresher breath or healthier gums, mouthwash is an excellent extra step to add into your oral-health routine. I personally always have a bottle around for my morning routine and for a breath refresher midday. It’s no replacement for flossing and brushing, but swishing mouthwash as the last step in your routine has lots of benefits. “It causes a mechanical action of fluid moving in and out between your teeth,” says Dr. Jon Marashi, a Los Angeles–based cosmetic and general dentist. “This works to help break up soft food debris and also rinses the gum line and slightly below the gum line.”
Not all mouthwashes are created equal, though, so I spoke to five dentists for their expert recommendations and tried out a couple of their picks for myself. Below are seven options for nearly every need. And, on the topic of oral health, you might want to consider upgrading your toothpaste or electric toothbrush, too.
What we’re looking for
Active ingredients
The benefits of a mouthwash largely depend on the active ingredients. Mouthwashes for improving gum health reduce certain bacteria that cause gum disease, while mouthwashes made to target tooth decay either reduce cavity-causing bacteria or contain minerals for enamel strength, explains Dr. Sharon Huang, founder of Les Belles NYC, a holistic dentistry practice in Manhattan. Common ingredients you’ll see below are fluoride or nano-hydroxyapatite, which help strengthen enamel, and chlorhexidine (CHX) or cetylpyridinium chloride, which help plaque control.
ADA-approved
As with other oral-health products, looking for the American Dental Association’s (ADA) seal of approval ensures you’re getting a product that demonstrates safety and efficacy.
Alcohol-free
Nearly every dentist I spoke to said it’s best to opt for an alcohol-free mouthwash. Alcohol does kill bacteria, but it reduces saliva in the mouth. This worsens bad breath and increases the risk of cavities. “Saliva is the body’s natural mouthwash, so its main job is to flush bacteria and make it hard for bacteria to stick to the teeth and gums to cause cavities and gum disease,” says Dr. Huang. Plus, with daily use, a mouthwash with alcohol can create an acidic environment in your mouth and promote demineralization of enamel, says Dr. Erin Fraundorf, a board certified orthodontist and founder of BOCA Orthodontic + Whitening Studio. If you’re shopping around and want to avoid alcohol, it may not be listed as an active ingredient because it’s often used as a preservative. To make it easier for you, I’ve noted which formulas below are alcohol free.
Best overall mouthwash
Active ingredients: Sodium fluoride, xylitol | ADA approved | Alcohol-free
I picked ACT’s mouthwash as the best overall for a couple of reasons. It’s easily accessible at a low price; it has the right active ingredients needed for keeping up overall dental health and is alcohol free; and it has the stamp of approval from the ADA. Made without alcohol and with .05 percent sodium fluoride, it’s an excellent drugstore pick that strengthens enamel and prevents bad breath. Dr. Huang, who recommends it, also points out that it contains the pH-balancing sodium bicarbonate, and other ingredients that are antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory. I’ve tried it myself in the soothing mint flavor, and like that it has a strong mint flavor without stinging like harsher mouthwashes I’ve used. (It also comes in arctic blast and cinnamon flavors.) My mouth felt clean after swishing it around for the recommended one minute and didn’t feel dry either.
Best mouthwash for cavity prevention
Active ingredients: Sodium fluoride, xylitol | Alcohol-free
Oregon-based dental-hygiene brand CariFree makes a range of mouth rinses, toothpastes, and mouth sprays for preventing cavities. The Maintenance Rinse was recommended by Dr. Huang as her top pick for cavity prevention, because it’s alcohol free, elevates pH, and remineralizes enamel. It’s made with the same amount of fluoride as ACT’s mouthwash above (.05 percent) as well as 25 percent xylitol, a natural sweetener that’s been shown to help prevent cavities. I haven’t tried it out myself yet, but I like that it comes in a nice range of flavors you don’t typically see in mouthwashes: mint, orange, and grape. It doesn’t get the top spot because it doesn’t have the seal of approval from the ADA, and it is pricey. But, if you struggle with cavity prevention, this is worth trying out.
Best mouthwash for fresh breath
Active ingredients: Sodium chlorite, xylitol | ADA approved | Alcohol-free
If your main concern is bad breath, reach for TheraBreath’s Fresh Breath Oral Rinse. Both Dr. Fraundorf and Dr. Marie Jackson of Stellar Smile Center recommend it, because it works to neutralize any bacteria that causes bad breath. Its active ingredients are sodium chlorite, which is an oxygenating compound that deodorizes the mouth, and xylitol. Along with being alcohol free, it’s vegan, and free of paraben, gluten, and sulfate. Also if you don’t like the harsh mouthwashes, this specific one is said to be mildly pleasant. Our deals editor, Sam Daly says, she’s “found real lasting love” for this formula, despite hating the minty burn of most mouthwashes.
Best mouthwash for gum health
Active ingredients: Gotu kola, echinacea | Alcohol-free
Dental Herb Company’s Tooth and Gum Tonic helps reduce gum bleeding and inflammation. Dr. Huang likes that it’s made with gotu kola and echinacea, which she says are anti-inflammatory herbs that stimulate healing. Plus, this rinse has been recommended as a bad-breath treatment for preventing dry mouth. It’s important to note that this won’t prevent gum disease — regularly brushing and flossing will do that — but this can help alleviate symptoms.
Best teeth-whitening mouthwash
Active ingredients: Sodium fluoride, hydrogen peroxide | ADA-approved | Alcohol-free
Dr. Pia Lieb, founder of Cosmetic Dentistry Center NYC, uses this mouthwash from Crest herself, because it doesn’t contain alcohol, tastes great, and has a lasting whitening effect. That’s because it’s made with hydrogen peroxide, which I’ve said before is the gold standard ingredient of at-home teeth whitening. “If you use this twice a day and brush and floss, I promise you that the professional whitening you paid for will be maintained for a year,” she says. It also includes fluoride, so you’re getting all the health benefits on top of the aesthetic ones.
Best mouthwash tablets
Active ingredients: Xylitol, nano-hydroxyapatite | Alcohol-free
Mouthwash tablets — ones that you bite and swish in your mouth with some water — have cropped up in the past couple of years as a convenient on-the-go option. Dr. Huang’s favorite is this one from Bite, because it’s made with xylitol for cavity prevention and nano-hydroxyapatite, a mineral that’s proven to strengthen and restore enamel. While Dr. Huang says fluoride is the number one ingredient for caries prevention, nano-hydroxyapatite is an excellent alternative.
Best mouthwash for kids
Active ingredients: Sodium fluoride | ADA-approved | Alcohol-free
Dr. Rashmi Ambewadikar, a pediatric dentist at Astoria Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, says kids can start using mouthwash as soon as they can rinse and spit consistently (as early as three years old and up to around six years old). She recommends parents practicing with water first, then stepping up to a mouthwash. ACT anti-cavity rinse contains fluoride to help strengthen teeth and prevent cavities and is alcohol free. Plus, it comes in fun kid-approved flavors like bubble gum, watermelon, and grape.
Our experts
• Dr. Rashmi Ambewadikar, pediatric dentist at Astoria Smiles Pediatric Dentistry
• Dr. Sharon Huang, founder of Les Belles NYC
• Dr. Pia Lieb, founder of Cosmetic Dentistry Center NYC
• Dr. Jon Marashi, Los Angeles-based cosmetic and general dentist
• Dr. Erin Fraundorf, DMD, MSD, board certified orthodontist and founder of BOCA Orthodontic + Whitening Studio
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
