With its rancid toothpaste taste and alcoholic burn, mouthwash lets you know that it means
business. When it enters your mouth, it doesn't care about being your friend
The stuff is essentially a pesticide for mouth cooties, and it kills germs so effectively it might even kill the gonorrhea bacteria living in your throat
Live Science writes that as early as 1879, Listerine was touted as a cure for gonorrhea
which can, in fact, cause a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes
But while the killing ability of mouthwash makes it a useful way to rid your throat of
tainted love and stave off tooth decay, you might also wonder how toxic it would be if
you swallowed some after swishing. The American Dental Association explains that there are two
main types of mouthwash, therapeutic and cosmetic. Therapeutic mouthwash combats bad breath
cavities, gingivitis, and the plaque plaguing your mouth. Cosmetic mouthwash, meanwhile, masks your bad breath without attacking the root cause of your future root c
Since both versions are mouthwashes not mouth drinks they contain substances that can damage your internal organs Cosmetic mouthwash for example may contain peroxide which you shouldn drink Luckily ADA mouthwashes have been tested for safety which means that swallowing small quantities should not be deadly
Crest warns that swallowing small amounts of mouthwash may leave you feeling a bit queasy
or may even cause diarrhea. But after a while, those symptoms should pass
However, to ensure that small kids don't have to endure that discomfort, Children under age 6 shouldn't use mouthwash, while kids from ages 6 to 12 should only use
it with adult supervision. While mouthwash ingested in small doses doesn't warrant alarm
this stuff can and has killed people. According to a report by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
between 1984 and 1993, there were three documented cases of children killed by mouthwash
All were under five years old and died from the high concentrations of alcohol typical of mouthwash
Registered Dental Hygienist Magazine notes that Listerine's original formula is 26.9% alcohol
while other flavored mouthwash is maybe 22 alcohol Scope is slightly lower at 18 and Sepacol is 14 alcohol With alcohol concentrations that high young children aren the only people at risk of
alcohol poisoning. In 2003, a 45-year-old man died after drinking nearly three liters of mouthwash
According to Michael's House Treatment Centers, a quartet of toxic substances can be found
in most brands of mouthwash. Even the ethanol in mouthwash isn't fit for consumption and can cause blood toxicity or
an overdose. Methyl salicylate gives mouthwash its minty flavor, but can give you, quote
rapid-onset salicylate poisoning, which the Emergency Medicine Journal says is potentially lethal
Another common ingredient is hydrogen peroxide, which can inflict gastrointestinal damage that
causes discomfort, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Chlorohexadine gluconate can interfere with circulation, raises blood pressure, and harm the heart. It also kills the bacteria that suppress
blood pressure spikes. However, all those dangers haven't always stopped struggling alcoholics from using the product for its alcoholic properties And mouthwash isn the only example In Russia lack of access to liquor has driven some people to ingest a bevy of non As reported by Time in 2016 at least 58 people
died in Siberia from consuming a bath lotion with a high concentration of alcohol. An ysis found
that up to 12 million Russians imbibed toxic substitutes for alcohol, including window cleaner
antifreeze, aftershave, and perfume. In Canada, struggling alcoholics have been known to consume
hand sanitizer, rubbing alcohol, and hairspray, according to Vice. In addition to the risk of
poisoning, the consistency of some substances may make them dangerously hard to swallow
Hand sanitizer poses a choking hazard that killed at least one Canadian who had joined a group
devoted to kicking such deadly drinking habits. Sadly, desperate times can drive people to deadly
measures. To put it simply, it is dangerous to drink mouthwash. If you suspect that you or someone
else may be at risk of mouthwash poisoning, contact the National Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222