study links ingredient in mouthwash to oral cancer

[Amby 490]

Mouthwash that contains alcohol has been linked to cancer, a recent study found.

The study, published in the Australian Dental Journal, concludes there is ``sufficient evidence'' that "alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of [the] development of oral cancer."

The ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.

Acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol that may accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around the mouth, is also believed to be carcinogenic.

Some mouthwash contains as much as 26 percent alcohol.

The study's author ProfessorMichael McCullough told The Sunday Telegraph alcohol-containing mouthwash should be reclassified as prescription-only and carry written health warnings.

"We see people with oral cancer who have no other risk factors than the use of alcohol-containing mouthwash, so what we've done in this study is review all the evidence that's out there,'' he said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479231,00.html

[Peikko 1,575]

Ouch! It's awful when you do something that is meant to be 'health beneficial' and it turns out that it's actually more likely to cause harm.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I don't believe it. My family, extended family all use mouthwash namely Listerine. For over 15 years, there's no sign of mal-health. I'll continue to use it.

[MrsCat 6]

I wonder if the scope commercial which said rinsing with mouth wash was just as good as flossing will now be replaced with rinsing is just as good as smoking?

[Peikko 1,575]

Well, empirical evidence would be most helpful in trying to make a sensible decision regarding the use, or not of alcohol based mouthwashes.

[Reba 2]

I see sales of Colgate's alcohol free mouthwash going up

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

whew, i was worried i'd have to stop using wild turkey 101 as a mouthwash.

[Jasman0717 9]

Is there anything that DOESN'T cause cancer

whew, i was worried i'd have to stop using wild turkey 101 as a mouthwash.

Try WT Spirit! Num Num

[almaty 19]

whew, i was worried i'd have to stop using wild turkey 101 as a mouthwash.

amen to that..after a couple of mouth fulls to freshen up..i am ready to deal with everyone's else problems...

[DeadPoolX 9]

It's getting to the point where simply existing causes cancer.

I can't even begin to describe the number of times I've read or heard about "this causes cancer" and "that causes cancer" only to see those statements retracted later and something else that's apparently "cancer causing" put in place of it.

[Peikko 1,575]

Perhaps the environmental changes that man has seen fit to impose on the natural world are responsible for increased cancer incidence? While there are clearly benefits from these changes, there are also dangers. Sampling water can provide some interesting? data viz a viz the impact of for example flushing meds down the toilets. Does an increase in concentration of certain naturally occurring (and some not so natural) chemicals have an impact? I think we know the answer is yes, what we don't yet know is just how dangerous this impact is/will continue to be in terms of changes to human/animal lifespan and ongoing health.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

There have been studies before on this and I've noticed that a lot of the mouthwashes are already being promoted as alcohol free. The best mouthwash I've ever used was Tom's of Maine.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Those who did this study have little background in organic chemistry. As a matter of fact, organic chemistry is a tough class for many pre-med students. I took it as a Science Elective for my major, and it was a breeze. The reason, I had 5 years chemistry experience prior to taking it.

Regardless, this study was published neglecting to invest in further time to analyze how free radicals could induce mutations in a cell. Generally, a good study requires maybe 40-60 years of surveillance to be deemed reliable.

[Amby 490]

Those who did this study have little background in organic chemistry. As a matter of fact, organic chemistry is a tough class for many pre-med students. I took it as a Science Elective for my major, and it was a breeze. The reason, I had 5 years chemistry experience prior to taking it.

Regardless, this study was published neglecting to invest in further time to analyze how free radicals could induce mutations in a cell. Generally, a good study requires maybe 40-60 years of surveillance to be deemed reliable.

Organic chemistry was a breeze for me.