Re: ACT Mouthwash

I guess my inner chemist mislead me. You see, I was thinking about having a mouthwash where Cetylpyridinium Chloride is the active ingredient because I could get the fluoride protection from the toothpaste I use. The bottle does have fine print that states that antimicrobial mouthwashes (such as this Crest product) can stain teeth but that the staining can be removed at a dentist's cleaning.

In Act and the other mouthwashes, Cetylpyridinium Chloride is labeled as an inactive ingredient so, that kind of threw me off. Apparently, when Cetylpyridinium Chloride is an active ingredient it has the potential to stain teeth.

Also, these are all post brush mouthwashes so they will leave like a protective film on your teeth after you use them. It won't be a good idea to eat again immediately after using them. They also can't be used after drinking a soda because it will harm the tooth enamel. One should always rinse their mouth with water after drinking soda so as to wash away any acids that will stick to your teeth, then wait an hour before brushing. I actually read that in some on-line article a long time ago. Tweet