Antiseptic mouthwashes that contain alcohol can contribute to the development of oral cancer, a new study has found.
The article in the latest issue of the Australian Dental Journal concluded there was "sufficient evidence" linking alcohol-based mouthwash products to the disease, after a review of previous research conducted on the subject.
The ethanol in mouthwashes is believed to allow cancer-causing substances to seep into the mouth lining more easily while acetaldehyde, an alcohol by-product that can accumulate in the oral cavity when swished around, is also thought to be carcinogenic.
The paper advised health professionals against recommending to patients the long-term use of mouthwashes that contained alcohol.
The study's findings, however, did not receive full backing from other experts.
Professor Laurence Walsh, head of the School of Dentistry at the University of Queensland, claimed there was no established causal relationship between alcohol-based mouthwashes and oral cancer.
In a letter to the editors of the journal, Professor Walsh criticised the article for only reviewing a "small and selective group of studies".
"A wide range of critical and systematic reviews over many years have failed to show any statistically- significant association between mouthwash use and oral cancer," he said.
"There is certainly nothing in the current paper to change our thinking in that regard."
Professor Walsh said antiseptic mouthwashes played an important role in improving dental hygiene and reducing gum inflammation and plaque.
"Most antiseptic mouthwashes contain alcohol and there is no doubt they are effective and safe when used appropriately," he said.
According to AC Nielsen market research, mouthwashes are one of the fastest growing grocery products in Australia, worth more than $75 million.