Good oral hygiene plays an important role in preventing dental problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath, and tooth loss and promotes overall health and well-being. ... Educate yourself on the correct oral hygiene techniques and tools, including toothbrushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. ... Protect the mouth while on the go: when brushing is not possible, rinse with a fluoride mouthwash or chew sugar-free gum after meals and snacks.

Maintaining oral health is a necessary life skill with extensive implications for general well-being. Regular brushing, flossing and dental check-ups help prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and other oral health disorders that can influence quality of life. ... Regular use: Dental floss and/or interdental cleaners to prevent gum disease. ... Avoid tobacco use and limit alcohol consumption as they increase the risk of gum disease, tooth decay, oral infections and oral cancer.

On its public guidance page "How to practice good oral hygiene," FDI World Dental Federation writes: "Practicing a good oral hygiene routine, combined with regular visits to the dentist, can help protect your teeth and mouth. Most oral health conditions are largely preventable and can be treated in their early stages." It advises: "Brush for two minutes, twice a day: toothbrushing helps remove food and plaque, which if not managed can lead to tooth decay and gum disease" and to "Floss at least once a day: floss and interdental cleaners help reach those difficult areas between your teeth. Regular cleaning helps to dislodge food and may reduce gum disease and bad breath by removing plaque that forms along the gum line." The page mentions: "when brushing is not possible, rinse with a fluoride mouthwash or chew sugar-free gum after meals and snacks" as a protective measure, but it does not claim that daily mouthwash use itself significantly reduces the incidence of gingivitis, periodontal disease, or dental caries, nor present quantitative evidence of such an effect.

Oral diseases, such as tooth decay and gum disease, are widespread and preventable. Through proper self-care and regular dental check-ups, together with managing risk factors, good oral health and general health can be secured. ... People can ‘Act on Mouth Health’ by adopting good oral hygiene habits; eating a healthy diet, particularly one low in sugar; quitting tobacco use; and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption. ... Individuals can protect their mouths and bodies by adopting good oral hygiene habits; eating a healthy diet, which is low in sugar and high in fruits and vegetables; quitting tobacco use; and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption.

The FDI Oral Hygiene Fact Sheet states: "Oral hygiene is the practice of maintaining the cleanliness and health of the mouth, teeth, gums, and tongue. Good oral hygiene plays an important role in preventing dental problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath, and tooth loss and promotes overall health and well-being." It recommends: "Protect the mouth while on the go: when brushing is not possible, rinse with a fluoride mouthwash or chew sugar-free gum after meals and snacks," linking mouthwash use to maintaining oral hygiene but without a quantified statement that it "significantly" reduces incidence of gingivitis, periodontal disease, or caries.

On FDI’s Oral Health Campus webinar page "Role of mouthwash in oral care" the description notes: "Mouthwashes purport to reduce dental plaque and thus the potential to prevent plaque-induced oral disease. Depending on the active ingredients used, their mode of action to combat plaque varies, as does their potential effectiveness." It further states: "Evidence of the effectiveness of mouthwashes in managing oral disease, including dental caries and periodontal diseases will be presented," indicating FDI disseminates research on mouthwash effectiveness but does not present this description itself as a formal policy statement that mouthwash "significantly" reduces disease incidence.

On September 6, 2016, a new definition of oral health was overwhelmingly approved by the FDI World Dental Federation General Assembly. Oral health is multifaceted and includes the ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort, and disease of the craniofacial complex. ... It is a fundamental component of health and physical and mental well-being. It exists along a continuum influenced by the values and attitudes of people and communities.

The FDI policy statements index explains: "FDI Policy Statements are put together through consultation, discussion and consensus amongst leading dental experts from around the world." It indicates these statements cover topics such as oral health, caries, periodontal disease, and prevention strategies, but the index page does not show a policy specifically stating that daily mouthwash use as part of oral hygiene routines significantly reduces the incidence of gingivitis, periodontal disease, and dental caries.

"The efficacy of mouthwash use in maintaining oral health is well documented in the literature. However, it often shows varying degrees of evidence," Prof. McCullough explained. "Mouthwash use decreases plaque and gingivitis in many short-term studies, most of these studies assessing chlorhexidine-containing mouthwashes. However, the evidence for their effectiveness in preventing periodontal disease is not currently available." "There is moderate evidence for the adjunctive use of fluoride-containing mouthwashes for the prevention of coronal caries in children and adolescents but not in adults."

A total of eight policy statements were approved by FDI in 2019 on topics including carious lesions and first restorative treatment, repair of restorations, antibiotic stewardship in dentistry, and other clinical issues.[6] The policy statements address prevention and management of carious lesions and periodontal conditions but are structured as clinical and public health guidance; they do not contain a blanket FDI confirmation that daily mouthwash use specifically and significantly reduces gingivitis, periodontal disease, and dental caries.[6] FDI’s policy documents focus on evidence-based dental care, professional interventions, and patient self-care (toothbrushing, interdental cleaning) rather than endorsing a particular product category like mouthwash as a singular preventive measure.[6]

An oral health guidance document jointly published by the International Diabetes Federation and partners states: "Maintenance of proper oral hygiene for good oral health is an accepted part of the normal recommendations for a healthy lifestyle." It notes that measures such as toothbrushing, flossing and regular dental visits help prevent periodontal disease and other oral complications, especially in people with diabetes. The document discusses the importance of routine oral hygiene but does not single out mouthwash use as a proven factor that significantly reduces the incidence of gingivitis, periodontitis or dental caries, nor does it attribute such a claim to the FDI World Dental Federation.

The new International Dental Journal Supplement explores the role of mouthwashes in oral care. ... Effectiveness of Mouthwashes in Managing Oral Conditions. ... The supplement, developed with FDI World Dental Federation involvement, aims to provide the most current evidence on mouthwashes as part of routine oral hygiene and their effectiveness in managing plaque, gingivitis and other oral conditions.

We are dedicated to safeguarding the health of people worldwide through the improved prevention, treatment, and control of oral diseases.[7] FDI promotes optimal oral health through advocacy, education and the development of policy statements, fact sheets and resources on topics such as oral hygiene, caries prevention and periodontal health.[7] The general federation page describes FDI’s mission but does not present a formal statement that "daily oral hygiene routines, including mouthwash use, significantly reduce the incidence of gingivitis, periodontal disease, and dental caries."[7]

This policy brief highlights associations between oral diseases and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and provides recommendations for their prevention and control.[5] FDI’s oral health resources emphasize integrating oral disease prevention into broader NCD strategies, focusing on measures such as reducing sugar intake, improving access to dental care, and promoting basic oral hygiene like toothbrushing and interdental cleaning.[5] The brief discusses oral disease prevention in general terms and does not specifically attribute a significant reduction in gingivitis, periodontal disease, and dental caries to daily mouthwash use.[5]

The observance spreads messages about good oral hygiene practices for adults and children and illustrates the importance of oral health in overall health and well-being.[3] World Oral Health Day, led by FDI, encourages behaviors such as regular toothbrushing, dental checkups and healthy diets as key to preventing oral diseases.[3] This ADA News article referencing FDI campaigns does not report an FDI confirmation that mouthwash use, specifically, significantly reduces the incidence of gingivitis, periodontal disease, and dental caries.[3]

A Cochrane review on "Mouthrinses for the prevention of dental caries" reports that fluoride mouthrinses used regularly can reduce caries increment in children and adolescents compared with placebo or no treatment. The authors conclude that there is "evidence of a caries-inhibiting effect of supervised regular use of fluoride mouthrinse" but emphasize that results vary with concentration, frequency, and supervision, and that mouthrinse is an adjunct to other fluoride measures like toothpaste, not a standalone guarantee of significantly reduced caries incidence for all users.

FDI aims to promote optimal oral health for all individuals, advocating for the importance of dental care.[10] The study guide notes that FDI works through policies, advocacy and education on preventive and restorative dentistry, emphasizing oral hygiene as central to oral health.[10] The overview does not cite an FDI statement that daily oral hygiene routines including mouthwash use significantly reduce gingivitis, periodontal disease, and dental caries; instead it broadly describes FDI’s role.[10]

A systematic review on antimicrobial mouthrinses for gingivitis and plaque control concludes that products containing chlorhexidine, essential oils, or cetylpyridinium chloride "produce statistically significant reductions in plaque and gingival inflammation" compared with mechanical oral hygiene alone in the short to medium term. However, the review stresses heterogeneity between formulations and study designs and notes adverse effects (e.g., staining with chlorhexidine), reinforcing that while certain mouthwashes can significantly reduce gingivitis indices when used daily as part of oral hygiene, this cannot be generalized to all mouthwash products or framed as a universal confirmation by a single federation.

In a video promoting World Oral Health Day, FDI World Dental Federation’s messaging includes the slogan "Oral health is essential for everyday prevention, and for a fairer world" and encourages making oral health "a global priority" because "healthy mouths = healthier communities." The video underscores the importance of prevention through oral hygiene but the available description does not mention mouthwash specifically nor provide a formal statement that daily mouthwash use significantly reduces the incidence of gingivitis, periodontal disease, and dental caries.

On social media, FDI World Dental Federation shares updates on white papers and campaigns, such as strengthening HPV prevention through oral healthcare.[8] The posts promote oral health awareness and professional resources but do not include a formal scientific or policy statement confirming that daily oral hygiene routines with mouthwash significantly reduce gingivitis, periodontal disease, and dental caries.[8]

The value of #mouthwash as part of routine oral hygiene has often been questioned in the literature. Seeking to provide the most current evidence, the International Dental Journal has published a new supplement on the role of mouthwashes in oral care. ... This supplement, developed with FDI collaboration, reviews evidence on the effectiveness of mouthwashes in managing plaque-induced conditions such as gingivitis.

A review in the Journal of Dentistry assessing mouthwash use reports that essential oil mouthrinses used twice daily as an adjunct to toothbrushing produce significant reductions in plaque and gingivitis scores compared with brushing alone over 6-month periods. The authors note that clinical trials show reduced gingival bleeding and plaque accumulation, supporting the role of specific mouthwash formulations in reducing gingivitis risk, but they do not describe this as an official position of the FDI World Dental Federation; rather, they cite individual clinical evidence.

A new statement from FDI for World Oral Health Day 2026 calls on governments to turn recent UN commitments into concrete action by integrating oral health into universal health coverage. ... The statement emphasizes prevention and early intervention, highlighting that most oral diseases, including dental caries and periodontal disease, are preventable through good oral hygiene, healthy diets low in sugar, and regular dental check-ups.

FDI social media communications, such as a Facebook post promoting a "chairside guide for dentists and dental teams, along with a visual guide for patients," explain that these resources offer "comprehensive recommendations on caries prevention and management." While they encourage good oral hygiene and caries-preventive behaviors, the post does not include wording that daily mouthwash use specifically and significantly reduces the incidence of gingivitis, periodontal disease, and caries; instead it refers more generally to evidence-based preventive strategies.

Evidence-based dentistry recognises that toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste, interdental cleaning, and appropriate use of mouthrinses can reduce dental plaque and gingivitis, which are key risk factors for periodontal disease and dental caries. However, long-term evidence that mouthwash use alone significantly reduces the incidence of periodontitis is limited, and mouthrinses are generally recommended as an adjunct to mechanical plaque control rather than a standalone preventive measure.