Alcohol levels in mouth rinses can be dangerous for young children.

While mouth rinses are a common household product, it is not widely known that the alcohol content in mouth rinses can be dangerous to young children, who are easily drawn to giving them a try. Mouth rinses are made to taste good, look colorful, and are available without child-resistant caps. We all know that children like to mimic their parents, and a child seeing a parent use a mouth rinse might want to try it too.

Ethanol content in many mouth rinses can be pretty high. Even a small amount of mouth rinse with ethanol can achieve a high blood alcohol content in a child very quickly. For example, a small child who drinks a half-cup of mouth rinse, with an ethanol content of 27 per cent, is taking-in a dangerous level of ethanol.

Ethanol is absorbed quickly in a child's stomach, and just as quickly enters the bloodstream, and immediate medical attention is required. Signs that a child may have alcohol toxicity include irritability, unconsciousness, unresponsiveness and possibly convulsions.

Children under the age of six do not need to use a mouth rinse for any reason. Mouth rinses with ethanol should be kept out of children's reach. To be safer yet, only mouth rinses that come with child-resistant caps should be purchased.

If you have concerns about mouth rinses or potential alcohol toxicity in your child, ask Dr. Kirti Tolia about it.