I’ve had gum disease in the past and worked very hard to get my gums healthy. My reward to myself was to get porcelain veneers. I want to take good care of them as well as prevent myself from getting gum disease again. I’ve made up a homemade mouthwash that I think will clean my gums while not being hard on my porcelain veneers. Will you look my recipe over and give me your opinion? I got it off the internet. I know you’re an expert on gum disease.
8 OZ of Filtered water
8 OZ of 3% hydrogen peroxide
2 TBS of sea salt
Nina
Dear Nina,
It is wonderful that you are working so hard to keep your teeth and gums healthy. You’ve done great work in tackling your gum disease as well. As far as your DIY mouthwash goes, there is only one ingredient that bothers me. It’s not because of the veneers. It will not do any damage to them, however, the hydrogen peroxide could give you some problems.
Peroxide is very good at killing bacteria. Unfortunately, it does not distinguish between good and bad bacteria. It will kill enough good bacteria to create an oral yeast infection in your mouth. That will be seriously unpleasant. This doesn’t mean you cannot use your mouthwash ever, just sparingly. I wouldn’t use it more than once a week at the absolute tops.
As for over the counter mouthwash, make sure that if you purchase any of that, it does not contain any alcohol. If it does, the bonding agent to your porcelain veneers will be weakened.
In all honesty, the best thing you can do is brush twice a day, floss once a day, and keep up with your dental cleanings and checkups. Your dentist will help you keep an eye on your gums. Feel free to periodically use your DIY mouthwash as well, just remember not to do it too much.
This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.
