# Mouthwashes - are they good or bad?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouthwashes-are-they-good-or-bad/572823>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 27, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouthwashes-are-they-good-or-bad/572823 "2011-02-27T18:32:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 26

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**Author:** ![abderian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@abderian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abderian)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mouthwashes-are-they-good-or-bad/572823/26 "2011-02-28T21:45:46Z")

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Like some of the other respondents here, I’ve been advised to avoid alcohol-based mouthwashes so as to avoid drying out my gums. My dentist said I should use any over-the-counter alcohol-free mouthwash after brushing, but he specifically keeps [Closys](http://www.closys.com) in stock, so that’s what I use.

I also found [this column](http://askdrellie.blogspot.com/2009/04/closys-and-listerine.html), written by a dentist, which advises folks to use Closys (non-alcohol-based) as well as Listerine (alcohol-based).

(By the way, my dentist advised me to floss before brushing, so that the flossed-out food particles can be brushed away.)

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