I've decided to alter my recipe for my mouth rinse. After asking my Mum about an odd, moldy taste in my mouth lately, we had an interesting discussion about the proper chemistry of the mouth (she's an RN), she suggested that I use a milder mouth rinse. She said the ideal environment in the mouth (or anywhere, really) is one that encourages the growth of beneficial flora and inhibits the growth of harmful flora. She said that my recipe was too strong and because of the vodka, killing ALL flora, and used way too much baking soda.
The recipe I currently use is 2 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp vodka, 3-4 drops of essential oil to 8 oz of water. She advised eliminating the vodka, and reducing the baking soda to 1/4 tsp and adding 1/4 tsp of salt. She even suggested eliminating the baking soda and only using that recipe once per month. I like the baking soda because it helps whiten my teeth, but I also want to have a healthy mouth that doesn't taste like mold.
I make a couple of herbal mouth rinses that freshen the breath and kill icky bacteria through the properties of the herbs used, such as rosemary or parsley, combined with spearmint or peppermint and anise. They spoil quickly, however, as it is an infusion.
Update: For daily use, I've been using just 1/4 tsp salt, 8 oz water and 3 drops spearmint essential oil. I usually mix up a new batch every couple of weeks, and my mouth feels great!
