Warm saline mouth bath or warm saline mouth rinse is a common at-home therapy most people do, but not many are getting good results because they are not doing this very important therapy the right way. In this article, we shall be discussing in detail all you need to know about warm saline mouth baths.
What Is a Warm Saline Mouth Bath?
Warm saline is a warm water and salt solution that bathes the oral cavity for the purpose of facilitating healing of oral wounds. It is an important adjunct to various dental procedures.
Warm saline mouth bath or warm saline mouth rinse is the application of warm saline in the treatment of oral wounds and injuries.
How to Prepare Warm Saline at Home
In constituting warm saline at home, it is important you take note of the following.
- Boil the water at 100oC.
- Don’t use the water at 100oC. Instead allow the water to lose some heat until it gets to a warm temperature your mouth can tolerate.
- Very hot water will burn your oral mucosa and cause mouth sores.
- Warm water is tolerable to the oral environment.
- Avoid lukewarm water. It will not yield the desired result.
- The water should not be salty. Use the quantity of salt recommended.
To constitute warm saline for oral use, add ¼ teaspoonful of salt ( i.e. a levelled teaspoonful of salt divided into two) or ½ teaspoonful of salt (i.e. a levelled teaspoonful of salt) into a teacup full of warm water (250 ml to 300ml of water) and stir to form a homogenous mixture.
A simpler method will be to add a pinch of salt into a teacupful of water and stir. If, at any point, you are not certain on the quantity of salt to use, this safe method will come in handy.
How Does Warm Saline Mouth Bath Work?
Warm saline mouth bath consists of three main components. They include:
- The warmth/heat
- The water
- The salt
The above three components have five effects in ensuring healing of oral wounds occurs.
The major effects or functions of the components of the warm saline are as follows.
Anti Inflammatory Action
Warm saline mouth bath helps to reduce inflammation. The salt content helps to reduce swelling or oedema through osmosis, that is, drawing excess fluid from oral tissues.
Antibacterial Effect
Warm saline is bactericidal. The salt content kills bacteria capable of causing infection within the oral cavity. However, this is not a reason to increase the salt content. Always use the quantity of salt prescribed for a good outcome.
Irrigation/Cleansing Effect
The warm water component of warm saline mouth bath has a cleansing effect as it bathes the oral environment. It helps to keep the oral wound clean by removing debris, food remnants, and microorganisms that may cause infections.
Increased Blood Flow
Warm saline water helps to increase blood flow to the site of oral wounds. The warmth from the water causes vasodilation of blood vessels of the oral cavity making it possible for white blood cells to migrate to the wound site to prevent infection and to promote healing. A study carried out in 2016 revealed that rinsing with warm saline promotes the migration of human gingival growth factors, which are important in wound healing, to oral wound sites.
Protective/Prophylactic Function
After certain dental procedures like tooth extraction, warm saline mouth baths your doctor may prescribe warm saline mouth bath in place of antibiotics for the purpose of preventing infection of the oral wound arising from the tooth extraction. In this case, the warm saline water is playing a protective role in addition to the other functions already discussed.
Applications of Warm Saline Mouth Bath
Warm saline mouth baths have a number of home uses. It does not require any expertise. All it takes is to mix the water and salt in the right proportions. The following are some of the home applications of warm saline water.
To Promote Healing of Extraction Sockets
After a tooth extraction procedure, it is important that the oral wound created because of tooth removal heals. Where this fails to happen, the patient may come down with a very painful condition known as dry socket. Warm saline mouth bath is very effective for the healing of extraction sockets, thereby playing a vital role in the prevention of dry socket. This is why it is important to do the warm saline therapy appropriately.
Treating of Oral Ulcers
Mouth ulcers can be quite discomforting. Although many of them are self limiting and would clear out within one week, warm saline mouth rinse can help to speed up the healing process.
Treating Gingivitis
Warm saline mouth bath is usually an adjunct therapy in the treatment of gingivitis. In the case of chronic gingivitis, it is very effective after the patient has undergone prophylactic teeth cleaning (scaling and polishing). Scaling and polishing removes dental plaque and calculus (tooth deposits) which are the main causes of chronic gingivitis.
To promote Healing After Subgingival cleaning And Root Planing
Root planing is a procedure for treating chronic periodontitis. A dentist carries out this procedure. Usually dentists will instruct you to start warm saline mouth bath at home 24 hours after this therapy to promote healing. It is always advisable to adhere strictly to instructions given by dental professionals on the use of warm saline water.
Instructions on How to Rinse with Warm Water And Salt
One of the reasons why many people are getting the desired results with warm saline mouth baths is because they don’t adhere to the instructions on how to use it. Some don’t use the right temperature of water, right amount of salt or fail to comply with the duration. These are basically the reasons many don’t get the right results after doing a warm saline mouth bath.
Here are the instructions you must follow to do a warm saline mouth rinse correctly.
- After constituting the mixture using the method described above, take some of the water and hold it in your mouth on the side where there is an injury or oral ulcer.
- Spit the water out after it has lost heat. Take another gulp and repeat the process until you exhaust the water in the cup.
- Carry out warm saline therapy before and after meals morning, afternoon, and night (minimum of 6 times a day). If you fail to do it after a meal, food debris will lodge into the wound and might delay healing.
- Do it for a duration of 1 to 2 weeks, except otherwise indicated by your dentist.
- Do not gargle the water but you can swish the warm water in your mouth.
- Start warm saline therapy 24 hours after the dental procedure.
Conclusion
Warm saline mouth bath is important when treating oral wounds. It is cheap, readily available and a good substitute for topical oral antimicrobial ointments and mouthwashes. However, to get the best result from this therapy, you must refrain from doing it any way you wish. It is very important you adhere strictly to the instructions on how to use it.
