Do you recommend using any over the counter mouthwashes or rinses to remove plaque or whiten teeth?

I am leery about patients using mouthwashes on a regular basis. Antimicrobial hand washing has been shown to be counter productive and it is entirely possible that antimicrobial mouthwashes may not be good for us in the long run.

They may change the bacterial flora of the mouth, killing both harmful and beneficial bacteria and can cause an over abundance of candida albicans (yeast). Also what are the long term effects on the soft tissues of the mouth?

I personally advise my patients to keep it simple and stick to the basics-brushing and flossing ( or some other method of cleaning interproximally).