Hydrogen Peroxide in the Mouth? Yay or No to this Natural Mouthwash?

As someone who tries to use all natural products, I often veer towards recommending products that are already in most peoples medicine cabinets. During COVID, I, along with many dental offices, remember requiring that all patients rinse their mouth with hydrogen peroxide before being seen at each appointment. This is because of something that we already know, hydrogen peroxide is a powerful antiseptic, killing most microbes on contact. But can hydrogen peroxide also be used on the daily to maintain good oral hygiene?

The answer is actually…mixed. Yes, hydrogen peroxide does kill many of the “bad” bacteria in your mouth! However, it also can reduce many of the “good” bacteria in your mouth as well, the bacteria that helps to form a healthy microbiome, the community of microbes that live symbiotically in your mouth helping to keep you healthy.

So, what exactly is hydrogen peroxide? It’s a disinfectant most commonly used to clean wounds. Like rubbing alcohol, it’s designed to sterilize, making it effective against bacteria, viruses, and yeast. In the mouth, it’s particularly effective at killing both aerobic (oxygen-loving) and anaerobic (oxygen-avoiding) bacteria. Interestingly, many of the bacteria linked to gum disease are anaerobic, which makes hydrogen peroxide a strong short-term ally.

But remember, while hydrogen peroxide can kill the bad bacteria that cause disease, it also kills the good ones. This means that the bad bacteria can quickly come back and outgrow the good ones, similar to weeds in a garden. If the good bacteria is completely eliminated it allows the bad bacteria to flourish and take over.

In the short term, hydrogen peroxide, if used sparingly, can be very powerful at killing bacteria. If you do use something like this occasionally, you may want to consider a probiotic, which is one method to reintroduce good bacteria into the oral microbiome to not allow for overgrowth of the bad bacteria.

Ultimately, to decide if hydrogen peroxide, or any mouthwash is right for you you may want to come in and have us analyze your individual oral microbiome. We can then provide suggestions and coaching to optimize your oral microbiome and oral health.