Five mouthwashes failed in the test by consumer magazine Öko-Test. What about the basic benefits of mouthwashes? And which products are recommended?
Many dentists recommend that their patients: rinse their mouth regularly as a supplement to normal dental hygiene. According to Öko-Test, cosmetic mouthwashes can actually increase protection against tooth decay, protect against gingivitis and limit the formation of plaque.
But mouthwashes are not a must: If you have no problems with your gums and value good dental hygiene, you can do without mouthwashes. Öko-Test examined a total of 21 products – from well-known manufacturers to inexpensive own brands – for problematic ingredients. Two natural cosmetic products turned out to be particularly recommendable.
Mouthwashes put to the test: the best natural cosmetic products
Among the mouthwashes tested were five certified ones Natural cosmetic products, two of which were “very good”.
One of them was that Alverde 5 in 1 mouthwash nano mint from the dm own brand. It contains zinc gluconate against plaque, has a fluoride content of 250 ppm against tooth decay and, according to the Öko-Test, is free of questionable ingredients.
Some conventional mouthwashes were also able to convince with the top grade “very good”. Although they do not have a natural cosmetics seal, they were free from critical active ingredients. The recommended conventional mouthwashes included several own brands from drugstore chains, discounters and supermarkets.
Buy Öko-Test mouthwashes as e-paper**
Big brand mouthwashes failed
Surprise: The most expensive mouthwashes in the test were also the worst! Big brands failed Öko-Test because they contained different critical ingredients. In the Oral-B gums & enamel mouth rinse fresh mint contains the substance butylated hydroxytoluene, which can act like a hormone in the body. In the Meridol mouthwash According to the Öko-Test, you gargle with microplastics, and that Listerine Tooth & Gum Protection Daily mouthwash Contains alcohol: It can be a problem for alcoholic people and has no place in a product that is advertised for children from 12 years of age.
PEG (polyethylene glycol) compounds were also found in all three mouthwashes. PEG mainly consists of the gas ethylene oxide, which animal experiments have shown to be toxic and carcinogenic when inhaled. It is unclear how it works in humans. The three mouthwashes from Oral-B, Meridol and Listerine failed with “poor”. Only another branded product came off worse (“unsatisfactory”) because, in addition to PEG, it also contains a critical preservative and an aggressive surfactant.
Buy Öko-Test mouthwashes as e-paper**
Mouthwash packaging: plenty of room for improvement
Mouthwashes are usually packaged in plastic bottles. However, since new plastic requires crude oil that is harmful to the environment and the climate, more and more companies are using recycled plastic. Of the 21 products tested, four consisted of more than 75 percent recycled material and three more consisted of at least 40 percent recycled plastic. Overall, there is still a lot of room for improvement here, says Öko-Test.
There are no legal requirements. But now more and more companies are committed to using recycled plastic. This is particularly easy with bottles for mouthwashes made of PET: “There are high quality PET recyclates on the market that are even suitable for packaging food,” explains Öko-Test. Read more here: PET recycling: You should know these 4 facts.
Fluoride in the tooth rinse
fluoride Found in all dental rinses, mostly as sodium fluoride and occasionally as amine fluoride. It is said to make the enamel more resistant to tooth decay. In the tests of magazines such as Öko-Test and Stiftung Warentest, fluoride is therefore considered desirable.
However, science does not yet fully agree on the form and amount in which fluoride should be administered. In very high doses, it can even damage bones and teeth (read: Fluoride: important or toxic for healthy teeth?). However, the fluoride content of the 21 products in the test complied with all of the guideline values.
You can find all details in the Edition 05/2021 from Öko-Test and online www.ökotest.de.
Read more on utopia.de:
- Healthy Gums: Five Effective Tips
- Sustainable toothbrushing: from organic toothpaste to toothbrushes
- Can you build up tooth enamel? Tips for healthy teeth