The uses of cannabis continue to expand. But you can be forgiven if you never thought about using it as a key part of your daily dental care.

A new study reports that we all may at least get the opportunity to do just that soon. Researchers in Belgium studied the effects of a CBD-infused mouthwash on fighting the bacteria that causes plaque. Cannabis not only did well fighting plaque, it outperformed other products on the market.

The researchers wrote in the study that their findings “demonstrate the potential of cannabinoids in developing efficient and safer mouthwash products and next generation oral care products without fluoride and alcohol.”

Cannabis Proved More Effective That Other Mouthwashes

Researchers not only tested whether CBD-infused mouthwash got the job done when fighting plaque. They also tested the results against the effectiveness of two current, over-the-counter mouthwashes. The CBD mouthwash did a better job than both.

That makes cannabis just as effective, or even more effective, than chlorhexidine, which is the active ingredient in most current mouthwashes.

“By evaluating the colony count of the dental bacteria isolated from six groups,” the researchers wrote, “it was found that cannabinoids were more effective in reducing the bacterial colony count in dental plaques as compared to the well-established synthetic oral care products.”

The researchers tested the CBD mouthwash on bacteria from dental plaque samples taken from 72 people ages 18 to 83. The mouthwash in the study came from CannaBite, a Belgium company that makes CBD-based dental products, including mouthwash, toothpaste and protective oral spray.

None of the products contain THC, the chemical ingredient in cannabis that causes the “high.”

CBD Skips The Side Effects

This may turn out to be big news for the dental hygiene industry. Some current mouthwashes, used over time, can lead to side effects such as discolored teeth and calcium buildup. CBD mouthwash does not have these side effects.

It’s important to note that the study was funded by CannaBite and that a co-author on the study came from the company.

However, some mouthwash brands have already started to appear in the United States on the cannabis marketplace. The Belgium study could convince more companies to try their hand at creating a cannabis mouthwash, adding it to a long and growing list of CBD products that already includes topical balms, massage oils and edibles.