oral cancer and alcohol containing mouthwash

January 11, 2009

Experts divided over mouthwash claims January 11, 2009, 6:50 pm

Claims of a link between antiseptic mouthwash and oral cancer have

divided leading dental experts.

A review article published in the current issue of the Dental Journal

of Australia concludes there is now " sufficient evidence " that

" alcohol-containing mouthwashes contribute to the increased risk of

development of oral cancer " .

However, Professor ce Walsh, head of the School of Dentistry at

the University of Queensland on Sunday rejected the claim and said

their was no established link between mouthwash and oral cancer.

In a letter to the editors of the journal, Professor Walsh criticised

the authors of the paper for drawing on a " small and selective group

of studies " .

" A wide range of critical and systematic reviews over many years have

failed to show any statistically significant association between

mouthwash use and oral cancer, " he said.

" There is certainly nothing in the current paper to change our

thinking in that regard. "

According to the article, which is authored by several independent

experts, ethanol in mouthwash is thought to allow cancer-causing

substances to permeate the lining of the mouth more easily and cause harm.

Acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of alcohol that may accumulate in the

oral cavity when swished around the mouth, is also believed to be

carcinogenic.

Mouthwash is one of the fastest-growing grocery products in Australia,

with the category now worth more than $75 million, according to the

latest Nielsen market research.

Lead review author Professor McCullough, associate professor

of oral medicine at the University of Melbourne , told News Ltd that

alcohol-containing mouthwash should be reclassified as

prescription-only and carry written health warnings.

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