RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORAL PAIN AND ETHANOL CONCENTRATION IN MOUTHRINSES

Previous reports have indicated that certain mouthrinses, even when us ed as directed can induce oral pain. In order to help determine the ca usal agent(s), various commercially available mouthrinses, as well as control solutions, were tested in a psychophysical study in which subj ects rated categories of pain during and after mouthrinsing. More spec ifically, the studies tested the effects of ethanol concentration on i nduced pain. The results show that there is a direct relationship betw een ethanol content and the amount of induced pain. Furthermore, the a mount of pain was found to increase with time of rinsing, and to slowl y decrease after cessation of rinsing. Lastly, comparison of ethanol/w ater controls with a marketed product (Clear Choice(R)) matched for et hanol content showed that, while ethanol was the key factor in mouthwa sh-induced oral pain, other presently unidentified agents can also add to the effect.