After my root canal, my dentist said I could use either mouthwash or just a saltwater rinse to help keep the area clean and avoid infection. Honestly, the saltwater felt kinda gross, but the alcohol in regular mouthwash burned like crazy (even the “gentle” ones). I’m still not sure which is actually better for healing. Did anyone else have a preference? Did one seem to help more with swelling or keeping things calm?
I’ve had two root canals, and both times I tried to stick with saltwater rinses—mostly because the mouthwash burned way too much for me. The taste isn’t great, yeah, but after a day or two I just got used to it. For me, saltwater seemed to help with swelling and didn’t make my gums feel raw like mouthwash did. I will say I tried one of those alcohol-free mouthwashes once, but even that stung more than I wanted. Not sure if it actually sped up healing, but at least it didn’t hurt as much.
I totally get where you're coming from with the mouthwash sting—honestly, even the alcohol-free ones can feel like they're too much right after a root canal. That said, I actually had a different experience. For me, saltwater rinses were fine for a couple days, but after that I felt like they weren’t really doing much except making my mouth taste weird. I switched to a generic, alcohol-free mouthwash (the store brand kind that’s usually half the price), and it didn’t burn as much as I expected. It felt like it kept things fresher and maybe cut down on that post-procedure funk.
I know what you mean about this:
I got used to the mouthwash taste too, and honestly, the cost difference was pretty minimal since you only need a little each time. Plus, my dentist said either is fine for healing—just whatever you’ll actually keep using.“the taste isn’t great, yeah, but after a day or two I just got used to it.”
Everyone’s mouth seems to react differently though. For me, mouthwash worked better long-term, but saltwater was definitely gentler in those first couple days.
“the cost difference was pretty minimal since you only need a little each time.”
I wish my wallet agreed with you on that one... I swear these tiny bottles of mouthwash somehow disappear faster than my willpower at the dentist. But I hear you on the saltwater—after a couple days, it just felt like swishing around ocean water for no real reason. I did stick with it for a bit though, mostly because I’m cheap and didn’t want to shell out for another bottle if I didn’t have to.
Did you notice any difference in how fast things healed up with mouthwash vs. saltwater? Like, was there less swelling or anything? My dentist said either is fine but honestly, I couldn’t tell if one helped more than the other, except that mouthwash masked the “dead tooth” smell way better. Anyone else feel like mouthwash is basically just overpriced confidence in a bottle, or is that just me?
I’m with you on the mouthwash being “confidence in a bottle”—that’s exactly how it feels, especially when you’re paranoid about post-root canal breath. For me, saltwater was way cheaper and didn’t sting, but yeah, it’s not pleasant. I didn’t really notice a huge difference in swelling or healing speed, though. My dentist said as long as you’re gentle and keep things clean, either works. I just stuck with saltwater for the budget factor, even if it tasted like regret.
