The Food and Drug Administration classifies mouth rinses into two
categories – therapeutic and cosmetic.
In general, therapeuticinses with fluoride have been shown to
actually fight cavities, plaque and gingivitis.On the other hand, cosmetic
rinses merely treat breath odor, reduce bacteria and/or remove food particles
in the mouth. They do nothing to treat or prevent gingivitis.People who have
difficulty brushing (because of physical difficulties such as arthritis) can
benefit from a good therapeutic mouth rinse.Caution: Even rinses that are
indicated to treat plaque or cavities are only moderately effective. In fact,
regular rinsing with water and use of good quality fluoride toothpaste are just
as or more effective.