What Are the Active Ingredients in Mouthwash?

As a complement to daily brushing and flossing, an effective mouthwash or mouthrinse like Pronamel Intensive Enamel Repair Extra Fresh Mouthwash is a helpful addition to an everyday oral hygiene routine, especially with its ability to reach and clean areas in your mouth not easily accessed by a toothbrush.¹ If you use mouthwash every day, it can be helpful to know what’s inside the liquid that you’re swishing in your mouth. See what ingredient in mouthwash kills harmful bacteria and discover the benefits of an alcohol-free mouthwash like Sensodyne Pronamel.

Different Types of Mouthwashes

There are two main types of mouthwashes: cosmetic mouthwashes, which are meant to mitigate bad breath, and therapeutic, which are formulated to control specific oral conditions like gingivitis, plaque and tooth decay.¹ Sensodyne Pronamel mouthwashes fall into the therapeutic category, thanks to the fact that it is alcohol-free^ and actively repairs acid-weakened enamel beyond brushing alone.*

Therapeutic mouthwashes have active ingredients that can help manage the following:¹

• Alveolar osteitis (dry socket, a condition that sometimes occurs after dental extractions)
• Pain relief
• Teeth whitening
• Xerostomia (also known as dry mouth)

However, certain therapeutic mouthwashes are only available through a prescription.¹

Common Ingredients in Mouthwashes

When you’re looking for a specific mouthwash to treat a specific oral condition, you’ll find different formulations for mouthwashes depending on their intended uses and benefits. Active ingredients in both cosmetic and therapeutic mouthwashes include cetylpyridinium chloride, which is used to control bad breath.¹ Pronamel Intensive Enamel Repair Extra Fresh Mouthwash refreshes the whole mouth and contains fluoride that penetrates into the enamel surface to help actively repair it.

Mouthwashes use chlorhexidine and essential oils to control plaque and gingivitis, though chlorhexidine is only available in prescription mouthwashes.¹ Fluoride is effective at preventing cavities, and some mouthwashes, like Sensodyne Pronamel, contain sodium fluoride as an active ingredient.²

The Benefits of an Alcohol-Free Mouthwash

Alcohol is a common ingredient in mouthwash. However, a recent study has shown that the inclusion of alcohol in mouthwash may disrupt the oral microbiome in one’s mouth, and this may increase the risk of bacteria linked to periodontal and systemic diseases.³

The ingredients in Sensodyne Pronamel mouthwash include sodium fluoride, a fluoride formulation to prevent cavities, as well as to actively repair weakened enamel.* What isn’t found in Pronamel mouthwash, however, is alcohol.^ Try Pronamel Intensive Enamel Repair Extra Fresh Mouthwash; it freshens breath and helps actively repair weakened enamel.*

_{*when used as directed with a fluoride toothpaste}

^contains no ethanol

Source Citations:

1. Mouthwash. American Dental Association. https://www.ada.org/resources/ada-library/oral-health-topics/mouthrinse-mouthwash/. Accessed 7/15/2024.

2. The Effect of 0.2% Sodium Fluoride Mouthwash in Prevention of Dental Caries According to the DMFT Index. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3525928/. Accessed 7/15/2024.

3. The effect of daily usage of Listerine Cool Mint mouthwash on the oropharyngeal microbiome: a substudy of the PReGo trial. Journal of Medical Microbiology. https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jmm/10.1099/jmm.0.001830/. Accessed 7/16/2024.

4. Are alcohol containing mouthwashes safe? National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19942865/. Accessed 7/16/2024.