A wash worth its while?

Freshens breath! Gives your mouth a tingling sensation! But what do mouthwashes really accomplish?

Late in 2010, the FDA warned three mouthwash manufacturers to stop suggesting that their products that have fluoride as the main active ingredient would prevent gum disease and remove dental plaque, the sticky biofilm of bacteria and other substances that collects on teeth above and below the gumline. And several years ago, a federal judge ordered Pfizer, which owned the Listerine brand at the time, to stop an ad campaign that said the iconic mouthwash was as effective as flossing for preventing tooth and gum decay.