The Daily Mirror headline was as follows: 'Experts warn using mouthwashes more than twice a day can give you cancer.'

I decided to have a look at this research and you can hear me on Insight Radio Freeview 730 talking about it.

It was an European study that looked at people diagnosed with oral cancer and they had found that the people with the poorest dental hygiene and that included the use of dentures and those who had bleeding gums had more than double the risk of mouth cancer than people who had excellent oral health.

We know that excess alcohol intake increases the risk of cancer but the study did not prove that the alcohol in the mouthwash was to blame.

Certainly if people were using more mouthwash to hide poor dental hygiene then that would be a factor.

Alcohol can have an adverse effect on the lining of the mouth so that's why I tend to recommend an alcohol free mouthwash. The one I use is called eliminator and information on it can be found on my websitewww.newlifehealthcare.co.ukThe main message from this story is make sure you give yourself the best oral health possible-brushing your teeth twice a day, flossing and visiting the dentist every 6 months. Using an alcohol containg mouthwash does not initself cause cancer but poor dental hygiene does increase the risk.