The Best Mouthwashes for Fresher Breath

Brushing your teeth is an efficient way to keep them clean and healthy. Mouthwash is a great way to take it a step further and help freshen up and clean your whole mouth!

From fighting gingivitis to freshening breath to even helping with a dry mouth, there’s a range of great mouthwashes available. Below, we’ve gathered together our favorite mouthwashes to help make your breath smell better than ever!

Purchasing Mouthwash

With so many mouthwashes available, how can you choose the one that’s best for you? Consider the following factors to help guide your decision:

• Alcohol (Burn): If you’re someone who likes to feel your mouthwash working and who doesn’t have any mouth sensitivities, a typical alcohol mouthwash will work just fine! If you don’t like the tingle left over from alcohol mouthwashes or have a sensitive mouth, or for really any other reason, there are plenty of milder options that still provide you with a deep clean.
• Solution: From whitening to dry mouth relief to antiseptic, there are multiple solutions on the market. Choose one that has the elements most important to you—or one that has multiple important elements!
• Adult vs. Kids: Adult mouthwash is sometimes too harsh for kids, especially if they’re just starting to use it. A kid’s formula will be milder while still helping to get their teeth cleaner (and it’s sometimes much safer if accidentally swallowed).

Best Overall: Listerine Freshburst Antiseptic Mouthwash

This product is specially designed to not only give you fresh breath, but also, to keep your mouth healthy and clean! This mouthwash is made to prevent plaque while also fighting early gum disease and bad breath and effectively killing up to 99% of bad germs. Simply swish the mouthwash around in your mouth twice a day for 30 seconds to experience a minty-fresh just-dentist-cleaned feeling.

Runner Up: Therabreath Fresh Mint Oral Rinse

This unique mouthwash is made without alcohol, no artificial colors or flavors, and with a mild mint flavor that’s 100% vegan. This dentist-formulated oral rinse doesn’t burn while still giving you fresh breath! Ideal for helping to fight morning, stinky, and even garlic breath, this formula is effective for up to 24 hours and can be used every day. The ingredients in the mouthwash help fight the bacteria that cause bad breath and help eliminate any sour, bitter, or even metallic taste in your mouth.

Best Alcohol-Free: Crest Pro-Health Advanced Mouthwash

This alcohol-free mouthwash is made not only to kill bad-breath germs, but also, to safely whiten your teeth while also helping you to have stronger teeth. This mouthwash can help prevent cavities and strengthen your enamel, all with an energizing mint flavor.

Best for Dry Mouth: biotene Oral Rinse Mouthwash

For those who suffer from sticky saliva or a sore throat, this product is designed to provide immediate relief to dry-mouth symptoms while also helping you to maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth. Both alcohol- and sugar-free, this wash helps lubricate the mouth and can ease a dry mouth for hours, giving you fresh breath with a mint flavor.

Best Kids: ACT Kids Mouthwash

Coming in three kid-approved flavors, these anticavity fluoride mouthwashes are proven to help strengthen teeth, and also give kids the proper amount of fluoride. Kids only need to use this rinse once a day to get the benefits. With this product, there’s no alcohol burn, only fresh flavor and extra-clean teeth and mouths!