Why Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash Works For Bad Breath

Hydrogen Peroxide (H202) is not sold to the public in its purest form. In actual fact, the brown bottles you purchase at the store are only 3% hydrogen peroxide - the rest is water. You may not know it, but it's packaged in brown bottles because H202 will break down swiftly whenever it is exposed to light. The brown bottle protects against this light damage.

While it is true that what you are buying is watered down, the commercial 3% solution is plenty strong enough to offer you the necessary anti-bacterial and oxygenating qualities needed to help freshen your breath.

Many doctors and dentists prescribe hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash for a varied number of ailments. What kind? It is a common treatment for trench mouth, canker sores, mouth sores, mouth abrasions and other mouth infections.

To be fair, though, some studies demonstrate that prolonged use (holding it in the mouth for long periods of time) may soften tooth surfaces. Some folks keep it in their mouth for ten or twenty minutes because they believe it whitens their teeth. If this is your habit it would be a very good idea to check with your dentist. He or she may seriously advise against it!

What goes into making hydrogen peroxide mouthwash?

Pour out a couple of ounces into a glass, then just mix it with an equal amount of water. Use this to rinse your mouth -- swish it around and gargle it for about a minute. When done, spit it out -- don't swallow. There should be directions on the bottle label if you still have questions.

See how simple it is?

You now have a natural and effective mouthwash that will, as we have seen, aid in controlling bad breath in many people - but, unfortunately, not every person!

Why does it work for the majority but not everyone? As I discovered while doing research on the subject for a book, bad breath can be triggered by many different things.

When bacteria and germs inside the mouth are the initial cause of foul breath - which is the most familiar scenario - then hydrogen peroxide, with its antibacterial, oxygenating qualities, is an excellent natural treatment.

On the other hand, if your breath odor is caused by digestive problems, or some other (perhaps serious) medical problem, then hydrogen peroxide mouthwash, while refreshing, will probably not eliminate foul breath.

Keep in mind that some critical medical problems like kidney disease, liver illness, HIV, pancreatic problems (affecting insulin levels), and other serious problems, can cause breath odor. It would be a good idea to discuss the problem the next time you see your doctor.