Mouthwash in the test Well known brands in particular fail.
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| Mouth Wash |
Brushing your teeth and using a mouthwash: for many, these are part of the morning routine. But how useful are the products from Meridol, Listerine & Co.? We tested 21 mouthwashes. The result: not all active ingredients are unproblematic.
With top marks, nine mouthwashes are recommended in the test.
Mouthwashes can also help prevent tooth decay and inflammation of the gums. But they are not a must.
In our opinion, some active ingredients have no place in mouthwashes, including the aggressive surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate and the preservative propyl paraben, which is suspected of acting like a hormone.
The mouthwash job begins when the toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss are done. Brush your teeth properly, use fluoride toothpastes and clean interdental spaces - these are the most important elements of dental hygiene. Mouthwashes can also help prevent tooth decay and inflammation of the gums.
Test of mouthwashes: do they protect against tooth decay?
Studies show that mouthwashes containing fluoride can have "a caries prophylactic effect" . Especially in patients with an increased risk of tooth decay. These are, for example, adolescents who wear fixed braces or patients who cannot brush their teeth as well due to physical limitations.
The mouthwashes in the test all contain fluoride. The providers adhere to the maximum quantities recommended by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
Antibacterial mouthwash against gingivitis
Mouthwashes can also help to better remove the biofilm of bacteria on the teeth - in technical jargon plaque. The medical guideline, which is dedicated to the subject of biofilm and gingivitis , recommends mouthwashes "with chemically antimicrobial agents" in addition to mechanical cleaning .
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| Mouth Wash |
The studies that the authors of the guideline looked at show that antimicrobial mouthwashes reduce plaque more comprehensively in patients with gingivitis than mechanical cleaning alone.
Inflammation of the gums can be a precursor to periodontal disease, which in the worst case can lead to the loss of teeth. According to the guideline, the supporting anti-plaque effect has been proven by studies for certain essential oils and the active ingredient cetylpyridinium chloride, among other things.
Not all active ingredients in mouthwashes are convincing
The zinc and tin compounds contained in many rinses also have an antibacterial effect. But: mouthwashes are not a must. Nicole Arweiler, who co-authored the guideline quoted above, agrees. "Those who practice good oral hygiene and have no problems with their gums do not need an antibacterial mouth rinse solution," says the head of the periodontology department at the University Hospital in Marburg.
Anyone who rinses must also know that there may be slight side effects. These include discoloration, burning in the mouth and increased tartar build-up. In addition, not all active ingredients in the mouthwashes were convincing in the test:
- Alcohol can be a problem for people who are alcoholic.
- From our point of view, the aggressive surfactant sodium lauryl sulfate has no place on the sensitive oral mucosa.
- We are also critical of the antioxidant BHT and the preservative propyl paraben , as they are suspected of acting like a hormone.
- Also undesirable: PEG connections . They can make the skin more permeable to foreign
Antibacterial mouthwash: what works?
These are the main ingredients that are used in the mouthwashes in the test against tooth decay:
Sodium fluoride
Olafur (Aminfluorid)
Zinnfluorid
Manufacturers mainly use substances such as:
Essential oils
Cetylpryridiniumchlorid
Zinkgluconat
Zinklactat
Zinkchlorid
Manufacturers used to rely on other active ingredients
In our test in 2008, most mouthwashes still had chlorhexidine digluconate in them. However, we have strongly criticized that. Chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) was considered to be the most effective anti-plaque agent, and its effectiveness in periodontitis and gingivitis was well documented.
However, the substance is nothing for daily use: after a short time, the application leads to dark discoloration of the tongue and teeth, to taste irritations and changes in the mucous membrane.
Mouthwash in the test: criticism of packaging waste
Packaging waste is always an issue, especially when it comes to cosmetics. In order to reduce the amount of plastic entering the environment, we think it is important that the packaging also contains recycled plastics.
Only four providers of mouthwashes in the test are far ahead when it comes to the use of recycled material in the packaging . They use more than 30 percent recycled materials made from used PET bottles and this is credible evidence. Bravo! All others receive a Deduction grade under the test result Other Defects.
A law that stipulates the use of recyclates does not yet exist. As part of its strategy for plastics in the circular economy, however, the European Commission has called on the industry to make voluntary commitments to use more recycled plastic in the future. In the meantime, 70 companies such as Lidl, Kaufland and Procter & Gamble have committed themselves to this.
Environmental associations demand minimum quotas for recycled materials. In the case of mouthwashes, the use of recyclates is quite possible: because all bottles in the test are made of PET. And there are PET recyclates on the market in high quality that are even suitable for food packaging.
Mouthwash in the test: facts at a glance
We have bought and tested 21 mouthwashes for tooth decay, plaque and / or gum problems in drug stores, supermarkets and discounters.
Nine mouthwashes in the test scored "very good", including many inexpensive own brands.
Five mouthwashes fail the test with "unsatisfactory" or "unsatisfactory". Noticeable: including mainly well-known brands.
Test procedure
We bought 21 cosmetic mouthwashes for tooth decay, plaque and / or gum problems in drugstores, supermarkets and discounters, including five certified natural cosmetics. We have left out special mouthwashes such as those for white or sensitive teeth.
In the laboratory, all products were analyzed for controversial organohalogen compounds and the lists of ingredients were checked for substances of concern. We also had products with alcohol checked for diethyl phthalate.
In addition to the toothbrush, what can mouthwashes do against tooth decay and gum problems? For this purpose, Professor Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz and Mario Wurglics from the Institute for Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Frankfurt am Main assessed the relevant ingredients based on the study situation and checked the packaging for important usage and warning information.
With regard to the packaging, we were interested: does it contain chlorinated compounds, do plastic bottles put in superfluous cardboard boxes and do the providers use recycled plastic?
Rating legend
Evaluation of test result ingredients: Below the test result ingredients lead to a devaluation of two grades: a) Sodium Lauryl Sulphate; b) PEG / PEG derivatives. The following leads to devaluation by one grade: a) alcohol; b) propyl paraben; c) BHT.
Evaluation of the test result Further defects: Below the test result Further defects lead to a devaluation of two marks: synthetic polymers as plastic compounds (here: PVP). The following leads to a devaluation of one grade: a) no clear reference to alcohol and / or no specific indication of the alcohol content. b) addition of a zinc salt, but no indication "only for adults"; c) a proportion of recyclates (post-consumer recyclate, PCR) of less than 30 percent in relation to the total weight of the plastic packaging or no information on this or insufficient evidence on our request; d) a cardboard box that does not protect the glass.
The overall rating is based on the ingredients test result. A test result of other defects, which is "unsatisfactory", worsens the overall rating by two grades. A test result of further deficiencies that is "satisfactory" or "sufficient" worsens the overall rating by one grade. A test result of other defects that is "good" does not worsen the overall rating. For legal reasons, we would like to point out that we have not checked the effects of the products (as promised by the manufacturer).
Test methods
Test methods (depending on the composition of the products): Relevant ingredients: Expert opinion. Zinc content: total digestion in the microwave, element determination by means of ICP-MS. Organic halogen compounds: binding of organic halogens to activated carbon, combustion of activated carbon in a stream of oxygen, microcoulometric determination of halogen content. Diethyl phthalate: extraction with TBME, GC-MS. Formaldehyde / formaldehyde releasers: Acid steam distillation, derivatisation with acetylacetone, shaking out with n-butanol and determination by means of photometry. Parabens: LC-UV. PVC / PVDC / chlorinated compounds in the packaging: X-ray fluorescence analysis.
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