Dear Dr. Hall,
I need to know what is the best mouthwash to use that won’t damage my veneers?
My veneers are one week old and were quite expensive but look beautiful & I want to
maintain them with good hygiene.
– Sarita in Connecticut
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Sarita,
I never recommended mouthwash for any of my patients after receiving cosmetic dental work. I’m not sure why you feel you need mouthwash.
The basics for maintaining a set of porcelain veneers is keeping the teeth clean. You want to brush and floss, and have regular dental cleanings. And in doing so, I would avoid highly abrasive cleaning agents, like abrasive toothpastes and any abrasive cleaning techniques by your dental hygienist (pumice-containing polishing agents, or power polishing equipment).
Mouthwash doesn’t really contribute to this regimen.
Mouthwash Guidelines
Now mouthwash may not hurt anything. Check the ingredients. Most mouthwashes contain some type of alcohol. This will soften the bonding composite that was used to bond your veneers to your teeth. So that’s a big no-no. For example, you’ll see on the label that Listerine contains 21.6% alcohol.

Listerine mouthwash label shows alcohol content
That spells trouble for porcelain veneers. Crest Pro-Health, on the other hand, is alcohol-free, and is plainly labeled that way.

Crest Pro-Health label indicates it is alcohol-free
So that one won’t hurt anything and you could go ahead and use it.
Breath Rx mouthwash for bad breath is also plainly labeled as alcohol-free, and would be safe to use. Breath Rx was developed by a prominent Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist who is sensitive to this issue of not damaging cosmetic dental work.
– Dr. Hall
See my pages on tips for maintaining porcelain veneers and other cosmetic dental work.
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.