Why no mouthwash which really removes 100% of plaque?

[Zopkios]

Why hasn’t a mouthwash or the like been developed which really does remove 100% of plaque on our teeth?

It is now 11 years later since Professors Dijkstra and Dijkhuizen deciphered the structure and functional mechanism of the glucansucrase enzyme which is responsible for dental plaque sticking to the teeth.

So one would think that by now, regular visits to dental hygienists would be mostly unnecessary.

 

[Dr M]

Good day

Unfortunately some plaque has to be removed mechanically, by means of brushing, flossing or then regular scaling and polishing.
" Swooshing " around some mouthwash around in your mouth, does not reach all the areas it should, so quite often there is some plaque left over, which then become mineralized to form calculus, which can only be removed with a scaling.
A lot of people also don't adhere to the instructions of the mouthwash i.e rinse for one minute and then spit out. Most rinse for like 20 seconds, and then spit out the mouthwash, where after they immediately rinse there mouth with water as well. This then defeats the entire purpose.
Best way to prevent tooth decay and gum is still old fashioned brushing, with the correct techniques.

 

[MattKW]

The mouth is just the beginning of the alimentary canal. To somehow remove or destroy all micro-organisms in your mouth with a mouthwash would likely either cause direct damage to your mouth and alimentary canal, or severely disrupt the biome of the alimentary canal. In your example, I wonder if preventing plaque from sticking to the teeth may just simply swap one microbial problem for another. There has also been consideration of making a vaccine to act against Strep. mutans as a way if reducing decay, but other microbes would just step into place and create other problems. Just brush and floss; mouthrinses are overhyped.

 

[Zopkios]

Good day

Unfortunately some plaque has to be removed mechanically, by means of brushing, flossing or then regular scaling and polishing.
" Swooshing " around some mouthwash around in your mouth, does not reach all the areas it should, so quite often there is some plaque left over, which then become mineralized to form calculus, which can only be removed with a scaling.
A lot of people also don't adhere to the instructions of the mouthwash i.e rinse for one minute and then spit out. Most rinse for like 20 seconds, and then spit out the mouthwash, where after they immediately rinse there mouth with water as well. This then defeats the entire purpose.
Best way to prevent tooth decay and gum is still old fashioned brushing, with the correct techniques.

This may be the case with mouthwashes as they are now. But you have not addressed my question about the published research 11 years ago by Professors Dijkstra and Dijkhuizen. Has that been built upon insofar as a product which is infinitely better than what we have now?

 

[Zopkios]

The mouth is just the beginning of the alimentary canal. To somehow remove or destroy all micro-organisms in your mouth with a mouthwash would likely either cause direct damage to your mouth and alimentary canal, or severely disrupt the biome of the alimentary canal. In your example, I wonder if preventing plaque from sticking to the teeth may just simply swap one microbial problem for another. There has also been consideration of making a vaccine to act against Strep. mutans as a way if reducing decay, but other microbes would just step into place and create other problems. Just brush and floss; mouthrinses are overhyped.

If you go to a dentist to have your teeth whitened, don’t they place the whitener in a mold which fits around your upper or lower jaw? And now don't they have such kits which you can do on your own at home? So if such a “mouthwash” could be developed, it would be applied using the same method. Zero danger to the alimentary canal since the treatment is confined to the teeth and thereby isolated from the rest of the mouth. And as I replied to Dr M, you have not addressed my question about the published research 11 years ago by Professors Dijkstra and Dijkhuizen. What has happened to it?

 

[MattKW]

So, I found an article they wrote. It was interesting, but why it hasn’t progressed is not clear. Maybe the cost? You’ll have to do follow-up, maybe even contact the authors.

 

[Dr M]

Also found the article they wrote, and I agree, very interesting stuff. No idea why this has not been more fully publicized and discussed. Maybe cost or difficulty finding and effective inhibitor of the enzyme to add into products.
The authors did however also mention that they themselves believe that the age of the toothbrush is still far from gone.