Product Review: Antimicrobial Oral Rinses

OraVital CDLx System professional oral rinse

CDLx is a mild antimicrobial mouthwash that is pleasant tasting, easy to use and an excellent choice for the cost of the product. The action of its main ingredient, sodium chlorite (aka stabilised chlorine dioxide), oxidizes the volatile sulphur compounds (VSCs) produced by anaerobic bacteria, thereby neutralizing the odour. It also has the ability to decrease the amount of bacterial VSC production by interfering with the internal cell enzymes that break down protein molecules.

CDLx has an additional benefit as it contains Xylitol, a natural sweetener able to inhibit mutans streptocci - a group of bacteria that are linked to tooth decay.

CDLx is also available in a non-flavoured, no-colour-added version (CDLx-NF) for those who are sensitive or allergic to mint and/or food-grade dyes.

I created CDLx for professional use in OraVital Certified™ dental clinics. It was released for public retail in January 2012 and is available at maxill.com.

SmartMouth oral rinse

SmartMouth rinse uses a unique technology that stops breath odour by interfering with the metabolism of the oral bacteria. This system uses two separate bottles, one containing sodium chlorite and the other zinc chloride. [Update: a new single-bottle system has been released that automatically mixes the two solutions on each pour.] When the two solutions are mixed together, the resulting mixture releases a large number of zinc ions that block the germs' ability to ingest protein particles - thus preventing the formation of VSC gases that cause halitosis. This zinc ion rinse is effective for 12 hours. Some individuals experience a very brief period of dry mouth which disappears within a minute or two. This initial reaction is due to the zinc chloride component of the rinse. Overall, it is a pleasant and very effective mouthwash for mild to medium breath issues.

Oral Healthcare Review: Using Tongue Cleaners

Tongue cleaners are made of several different plastics, surgical steel, silver, and copper. They come in serrated and non-serrated strips, as well as loops, flat heads with ridges, and spoon shaped heads, all with a variety of handles. There are turbo-powered tongue cleaners and electric tongue cleaners. Tongue brushes are yet another variation for cleaning the tongue surface.

maxill Step 3 Tongue Scraper

The maxill Step 3 Tongue Scraper is a flat-profile plastic cleaner with a handle, making it easy to store upright after use (for example, next to your manual toothbrush). Gently move the Step 3's angled edge over the tongue surface from back to front. This usually requires only 3 strokes: side, middle and other side. Wash the debris off your tongue cleaner and gently scrape the middle section again. If there is no debris on the cleaning edge, then you have completed your tongue cleaning. Important: do not continue to scrape numerous times and do not make your tongue bleed.

maxill tongue cleaners are available at maxillexpress.com.

Why should you use a tongue cleaner?

Before tongue cleaners became so popular, we used to brush our tongues with a toothbrush. Is this sufficient? You can try this experiment yourself. Brush your tongue with your toothbrush then use a tongue cleaner to see if there is any debris left on the tongue surface. Some individuals are very efficient with their toothbrush but we usually find considerable biofilm left behind.

Tongue cleaners offer several advantages over cleaning your tongue with a toothbrush. Tongue cleaners are more effective in removing oral biofilm from the tongue surface. This reduces the amount of bacteria living on the tongue surface, eliminates cellular debris (dead cells and food debris) caught in the crevices of the tongue and promotes fresher breath. A clean mouth will lead to a healthier body and a reduction of the stresses associated with that dry, stale mouth feeling.

My BreathDoc article Tongue Cleaning 101 is a good introduction to the art of tongue cleaning!