A new study reports cannabinoid-infused mouthwashes outperformed over-the-counter products and was rated safer for everyday use.
Time to spit out your over-the-counter mouthwash. According to a new industry-sponsored study, CBD-infused mouthwash was just as effective at killing oral bacteria and offered “a much safer, efficient and natural alternative to alcohol and/or fluoride containing mouthwashes.” CBD-infused mouthwashes also performed better at killing bacteria than two popular OTC products.
Researchers drew sharp comparison between CBD-infused mouthwashes and those that use chlorhexidine, an active ingredient in many prescription-strength mouthwashes. Though effective, chlorhexidine includes some common, undesired side effects like teeth staining, taste loss, and increase of tartar on teeth. Patients shouldn’t use prescription mouthwash daily for this reason, researchers noted.
On the flip side, CBD-infused mouthwashes were found to “demonstrate the potential of cannabinoids in developing efficient and safer mouthwash products and next generation oral care products.”
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The study was peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of Cannabis Research. But you should know the study was evaluating oral products from CannIBite, a Belgium company developing oral products with non-psychoactive cannabis compounds (without THC, in other words). Not only were company’s products exclusively used, CannIBite constructed and provided funding for the study. Veronica Stahl, CannIBite’s founder, was also one of the study’s two authors, as Marijuana Moment noted.
“Most of the reported studies show chlorhexidine containing mouthwash as the most effective mouthwash, however tooth staining is an unacceptable side effect of chlorhexidine,” Stahl and her co-author wrote, adding, “CannIBite mouthwash products with cannabinoids infusion offer a safer and effective alternative without any fluorides or alcohol.”
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Mouthwashes eliminate bacteria buildup in your mouth that can eventually cause plaque and gingivitis. Researchers wrote that chlorhexidine mouthwash represent the gold standard and often given to patients with periodontal disease. But in the study, the gold standard was tested against four other mouthwashes. Two were CannIBite products — a CBD solution with spearmint oil and another with CBG and spearmint oil — as well as two common OTC products.
The mouthwashes were tested on plaque samples from 72 adults that were then grown in a lab. The two CannIBite mouthwashes performed as well as the prescription mouthwash at inhibiting bacteria growth. Researchers found the two OTC mouthwashes were barely effective.
