Mouthwash question, please help

Hey all, Im Chris and Im new here. I was wondering if someone could help me with this question. How does the menthol in mouthwash actually kill bad breath? thanks

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

Menthol is not bacteriostatic.I am not sure it has any effect than to make your breath feel fresh for a short period of time.

[Hygienist]

Listerine is not for everyone, people with dry mouth should avoid alcohol based rinses.  This is an interesting article i found online:Phenolics
Lister first suggested the used of phenol (carbolic acid) for sterilization in surgery
the problem with phenol is that it is very irritating and has a bad odor
today phenol is still used in throat lozenges and in throat sprays
phenolics are organic compounds similar to phenol but without the bad smell and irritancy of phenol
the active ingredient in Lysol is ortho-phenylphenol
it is derived from coal tar and is a class of compounds called cresols
Lysol is also 79% alcohol, enhancing the effectiveness of the phenylphenol
another cresol is hexachlorophene, used as a surgical scrub and the active ingredient in pHisoHex
hexachlorophene is also used in toothpaste, deodorants and soaps
it is effective against Staphylococci and Streptococci common skin pathogens
phenolics are good disinfectants because they are stable and persistent
Listerine is another common antiseptic and was first concocted by Lister in 1879
Warner-Lambert picked it up in 1881 and today it is a $400 million per year product
Listerine is a mixture of thymol, eucalyptol, menthol and methyl salicylate: natural products ("essential oils") that include phenolics
Listerine also contains over 25% alcohol which enhances its effectiveness
phenolics act by disrupting cell membranes, inactivating enzymes, and denaturing proteins