[troutman]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

Funny the different thoughts about these things. My dentist has told me all my life never, ever to use anything with alcohol in it (and neither scope, as it does nothing). I use the oral-b with fluoride in it on his recommendation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listerine

There has been concern that the use of alcohol-containing mouthwash such as Listerine may increase the risk of developing oral cancer[who?].

Both the American Dental Association (ADA) and the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) agree that the alcohol contained in antiseptic mouthwash is safe and not a factor in oral cancers. Studies conducted in 1985,[11] 1995,[12] and 2003[13] summarize that alcohol-containing mouth rinses are not associated with oral cancer. However, an extensive study published December 2008 in the Australian Dental Journal concluded that:

“There is now sufficient evidence to accept the proposition that developing oral cancer is increased or contributed to by the use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes. Whilst many of these products may have been shown to be effective in penetrating oral microbial biofilms in vitro and reducing oral bacterial load, it would be wise to restrict their use to short-term therapeutic situations if needed. Perhaps the use of mouthwashes that do not contain alcohol may be equally effective. Further, mouthrinses should be prescribed by dentists, like any other medication. There may well be a reason for the use of alcohol-containing mouthrinses, but only for a particular situation and for a limited and controlled period of time. As such, patients should be provided with written instructions for mouthwash use, and mouthwash use should be restricted to adults for short durations and specific, clearly defined reasons. It is the opinion of the authors that, in light of the evidence currently available of the association of alcohol-containing mouthwashes with the development of oral cancer, it would be inadvisable for oral healthcare professionals to recommend the long-term use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes.[14]