| " Mouthrinses are no exception. Mouthrinses contain essential oils, which include eucalyptol, menthol, thymol, alcohol, sorbitol, and others. People use mouthrinses for many reasons, ranging from whiter teeth, better breath, or cavity protection. But are there any risks to using mouthrinses that contain essential oils?" "In a recent study in the November/December 2006 issue of General Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) clinical, peer-reviewed journal, authors examined mouthrinses containing essential oils and the effects they have on restorative materials in the mouth. Restorative materials studied in this article included amalgams (silver/mercury mixture used for fillings), glass ionomers (used to cement gold and ceramic crowns to teeth), and composite resins (fillers that are tooth-colored)." "The authors subjected these materials to continuous exposure to mouth-rinses and distilled water for 10 days. The materials were placed in mouth guards that had three holes, each of which contained a specimen of each type of restorative material, and volunteer patients wore the mouth guards 12 hours per day for 10 days. The patients rinsed twice daily with a commercial mouthrinse and after the 10 days, the materials were removed from the devices and were inspected. Strength and appearance of the materials were observed and compared. " "Overall the study found that even long-term
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