ArticleBMJ open2020
Duration of gargling and rinsing among frequent mouthwash users: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- In Vitro Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Effects of Antiseptics and Mouthwashes onPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Anti-Inflammatory Effects on Periodontal Tissue and Antibacterial Effects on Oral Bacteria of Chlorogenic Acid.Dentistry journal · 2026Article
- Comparative analysis of fluoride-based and natural mouthwashes on NiTi orthodontic wire surface integrity.Biomaterial investigations in dentistry · 2025Article
- Understanding Risk Factors for Oropharyngeal Gonorrhea Among Sex Workers Attending Sexual Health Clinics in 2 Australian Cities: Mixed Methods Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2024Article
- Potential effect of antiseptic mouthwash on the incidence ofBMJ open · 2021Article
- Associations between oral sex practices and frequent mouthwash use in heterosexuals: a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, Australia.BMJ open · 2021Article
- Assessing knowledge, attitude, and practice of mouthwash use in an urban community sample: A cross-sectional study in Chennai, India.Journal of oral and maxillofacial pathology : JOMFPArticle
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo examine the rinsing and gargling mouthwash practices among frequent mouthwash users to determine if there are differences in use between gender, sexual orientation and sex work status.
designCross-sectional study.
settingData obtained from patients attending a sexual health centre located in Melbourne, Australia.
participants200 frequent mouthwash users (four or more times per week), 50 for each of the following patient groups: men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSW), females who are not sex workers and men who have sex with women only (MSW). Participants were observed and audio recorded using mouthwash. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Descriptive analyses were conducted to calculate the median age, time rinsing and gargling, amount of mouthwash used and proportion of participants who rinsed, gargled or both, as determined from the audio files. Kruskal-Wallis H test and χ
resultsMedian age was 28 years (IQR: 24-33). During the study, most (n=127; 63.5%) rinsed and gargled, but 70 (35.0%) rinsed only and three (1.5%) gargled only. Median time rinsing was 13.5 s (IQR: 8.5-22.0 s), gargling was 4.0 s (IQR: 2.5-6.0 s) and the median total duration was 17.0 s (IQR: 11.5-25.8 s). Median duration of mouthwash did not differ significantly between the groups (females not sex workers: 18.8 s (IQR: 12.5-24.5 s); FSW: 14.0 s (9.0-22.0 s); MSM: 22.3 s (13.0-26.5 s); MSW: 15.8 s (12.0-25.0 s); p=0.070) but males used mouthwash longer than females (median 20.3 s compared with 15.5 s; p=0.034). The median volume of mouthwash used was 20 mL (IQR: 15-27 mL). And most (n=198; 99.0%) did not dilute mouthwash with water.
conclusionOver a quarter of frequent users do not gargle mouthwash at all (35%) and used it for a substantially shorter period of time than it was used in the randomised trial (1 min) where it was shown to be effective at inhibiting
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