When it comes to oral hygiene, dentists never resist recommending mouthwash. It is a product specially made to keep your breath fresh and fragrant. It contains antibacterial agents to kill germs effectively. If toothpaste is hygiene for teeth, mouthwash is hygienic for the full oral cavity.
In the case of oral products, the chances of accidental intake are quite high. After gauging, rinsing, and spitting you can’t guarantee that 100% of the product is out of your mouth. The same is the case with mouthwash.
What happens if you swallow mouthwash? No need to get panic if you swallow a small amount. You are likely to experience no symptoms at all. However, if taken in large amounts it can cause intoxication, stomach disturbance, vomiting, diarrhea, and convulsions. So, rinse your mouth thoroughly after gauging and spitting.
Even the safest mouthwash is not 100 % safe for ingestion. This is the main reason that dentists never recommend this product for children.
What Is Mouthwash & Ingredient In It
Mouthwash is a dental cleaning agent used for oral hygiene. It is used to protect the oral cavity from germs and helps to avoid tooth decay. It provides extra protection after brushing teeth. This product is only recommended to spit in the oral cavity, not for ingestion.
There are 2 types of mouthwash:
The main ingredients used in mouth wash are mainly Flouride and Ethanol. If you see the label you will read many other ingredients such as
- Ethanol
- Menthol
- Eucalyptol
- Benzoic acid
- Methyl salicylate
- Thymol
- Flouride
- Sodium Flouride
The presence of too many alcohol variants makes this product harmful for ingestion. However, the amount to be swallowed matters alot before medical intervention.
7 Symptoms After Swallowing Mouthwash
Mouthwash may contain poisonous ingredients or may not. If you swallow fluoride-free mouthwash, you are 100% safe. Remember don’t try to drink it it’s safe only for accidental swallowing. The symptoms may vary from person to person as the health condition of each person is different from others. Some show symptoms quite early like kids and allergic patients while others show symptoms late or some even dont show symptoms at all
- Dizziness
- Upset Stomach
- Gastric Distress
- Nausea
- Drowsiness
- Trouble breathing( especially in allergic patients)
- Convulsions (for severe cases)
- Coma (for serious cases)
7 Side Effects of Swallowing Mouthwash
Continous swallowing of mouthwash daily may have long-term side effects. However, some side effects are reported instantly after gulping 5 to 10 grams of mouthwash especially if it contains poisonous materials
The instant side effects include
- Gastrointestinal Pain
- Stomach Pain
- Inflammation in Intestine
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Drowsy feeling
- Intoxication
Long term side effects may result in
- Convulsion
- Coma
This happens mostly in people with other undiagnosed health problems.
What Happen If You Drink Mouthwash
Drinking and Swallowing are two different things. When you drink something you mostly do it deliberately. On the other hand, swallowing is mostly done accidentally or by chance. The amount you drink is always greater than the amount you swallow.
What happens if you drink mouthwash? It is strongly prohibited to drink this product deliberately. If taken in large amounts it can disturb your stomach. As a result, you may have to suffer from vomiting or nausea. If you have some other health condition it can even lead to convulsion and coma.
So becareful when drinking any product. Always read the label first.
What Happen If You Swallow Mouthwash Everyday
Fresh cool and cozy breath is the ultimate result you may observe after using mouthwash. The taste of a few brands is yummy like a bubble or full of flavor. It’s very tempting, especially for kids it becomes difficult to avoid drinking it. If adult people keep this bottle in the bathroom cabinet, it is recommended to buy a flavor-free mouthwash.
The dentist would recommend you to use it daily. It can make you anxious about: What happens if you swallow mouthwash every day? It’s really bad as mouthwash contains toxic ingredients such as ethanol and fluoride. If you swallow a small amount daily it can upset the stomach causing gastrointestinal pain vomiting and nausea. So, spit it properly and dont eat and drink after 15 minutes of using it.
It’s good to use it when eating time is over or near bedtime.
What Happen If You Swallow Mouthwash While Pregnant
Pregnancy is a condition when the mother has to think a lot about staying healthy. Any carelessness in eating non-eatable can have serious results in this condition as immunity drops too early in some women. So if you are pregnant and you’ve swallowed mouthwash you might be curious to know the results.
What happens if you swallow mouthwash while pregnant? Nothing bad, if the amount is too low. You may experience no symptoms at all. However, if the amount is high you may feel dizziness, vomiting, and diarrhea. In many cases, the conditions will get stable soon. In a few cases, you may have to contact to get medical aid if symptoms prolong.
What Happen If You Drink Mouthwash Without Alchohol
Alcohol variants like ethanol are the main ingredient of mouthwash. It makes this product no good for intake. Neither it is intended to be drunk nor swallowed. Mouthwash without alcohol is good to use in homes with kids. Keep this in mind even the safest mouthwash is not safe for ingestion.
What happens if you drink mouthwash without alcohol? It is always unsafe to drink mouthwash even without alcohol. It may have other toxic germ-killing agents or chemicals not safe for drinking. I drank in large amounts it can cause queasiness and diarrhea.
What To Do If You Swallow Mouthwash
If you had ever swallowed mouthwash you should know whether something bad going to happen to you or if it’s Ok? Oral hygienic products have a high chance of swallowing. Now if this has happened to you or you have already swallowed a few drops of mouth wash, now you should really know what to do next.
What to do if you swallow mouthwash? If the ingested amount is low, you need not worry. However, if the amount is high and mouthwash contains poisonous ingredients, it’s time to get medical aid or call the poison control center without waiting for symptoms. The poisonous ingredients mostly used in mouthwash are fluoride and ethanol.
How To Use Mouthwash Safely: 5 Tips
The safe usage of this product can help you to avoid the side effects of swallowing. Below are a few tips you need to consider when using it:
- Read label carefully
- Buy safe packaging
- Keep it away from kids
- Use fluoride-free mouthwash
- Keep eye on children when using mouthwash
- Dont let kids use this until they learn its proper usage
What Happen If You Swallow A Bottle of Mouthwash
Mouthwash comes in different packaging inside a plastic bottle. There are many cases reported in poison control centers where mothers call for help after asking that their kid has swallowed a full bottle of mouthwash. Now, what will happen?
What happens if you swallow a bottle of mouthwash? Drinking a full bottle may have the same effect as drinking alcohol. The ultimate result would be intoxication, dizziness, and drowsing. Other side effects are gastrointestinal pain and vomiting. If symptoms persist, you need to get medical aid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Happens If You Swallow Mouthwash Once?
Although oral cleaning products are not intended for ingestion yet it is impossible to avoid. In the case of mouthwash, the chances of accidental swallowing are quite high. The quantity matter alot to see symptoms.
If you swallow in small amounts once, you are likely to experience no symptoms at all. It’s true that Flouride and ethanol are toxic but they are safe if taken in small amounts accidentally once or twice. The situation may get worse if you drink too much or a full bottle at once.
Is it OK to Swallow Your Spit After Using Mouthwash?
The instructions for using mouthwash are always listed on the label. According to instructions, you should not use water to rinse your mouth right after using mouthwash. This increases the chances of swallowing it with saliva or spit.
It’s Ok to ingest it with saliva only if you have already spat out its large amount. If you are using too much strong product you should rinse it with water. After rising it will lose its potency and will not harm you.
Conclusion
Oral hygienic products such as mouthwash are not made for swallowing. However, the chances are quite high as in most cases users fail to spit all consumed products out. The bad effects of too much swallowing are intoxication, stomach distress pain, vomit, and diarrhea.
If you are too sensitive to such dental cleaning products you should rinse and guage properly after application. Never try to buy too harsh products. Always ask your dentist to recommend a product good for your oral care as well as overall health.
