What about drinking alcohol?
Prof McCullough said the most popular mouthwashes contained higher concentrations of alcohol than drinks such as wine or beer.
"If you have a glass of wine, you tend to swallow it,'' he said.
"With mouthwash, you have a higher level of alcohol and spend longer swishing it around your mouth.
"The alcohol that is present in your mouth is turned into acetaldehyde.''
Regular alcohol consumption was a cancer risk, Prof McCullough said, but usually did not involve swishing it around the mouth.
Eating while drinking increased salivation, which lowered the risks, he said.
"The most significant difference (between alcohol and alcohol-containing mouthwash) is that one is for pleasure and the other is being recommended as a health product.''
......I'll give up mouthwash before wine thanks !!
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