Sodium retention from mouthwashes

Sodium intake from food and other sources must be carefully monitored in patients with hypertension and other disorders. Retention of sodium was measured during routine use of three commercially available, nonprescription mouthwashes: Cepacol, Plax, and Viadent. A test group of 17 adults rinsed with 15 ml of the three mouthwashes, and with 5% saline and distilled water as experiment controls. Sodium not recovered in the expectorate was considered to be retained for absorption by oral or other tissues. The sodium in each product (in mg/l) varied widely: Viadent, 144; Cepacol, 410; and Plax 5320. The analyzed expectorate revealed approximately 33% of the sodium in the 15 ml used for rinsing was retained, amounting to 0.7 mg for Viadent, 1.9 mg for Cepacol, and 28.3 mg for Plax. The results indicate that persons on sodium-restricted diets should be aware that some brands of mouthwash may be a potentially significant source of sodium.