‘I give up’: Expert shares the right way to use mouthwash. You’ve probably been doing it wrong

Many people have a standard routine before they go to work or as they’re getting ready for bed: Brush, floss, then use mouthwash.

Mouthwash is a relatively recent invention. While early forms of a toothbrush date back as far as 3,000 B.C., mouthwash wasn’t widely used and commercially available until the early 1900s.

Since then, many have employed mouthwash either to keep their breath smelling fresh or to add an extra bit of cleanup to their dental care. However, this may not always have the positive effect they think it does, as TikTok user and dentist Dr. Shaadi Manouchehri (@drshaadimanouchehri) noted in a video with over 1 million views.

Are you using mouthwash wrong?

In her video, Dr. Manouchehri says that, after almost 10 years of dentistry, she’s still “[shocked] when people tell me that they use mouthwash after they brush their teeth.”

“We need to be using a fluoride toothpaste twice a day to brush your teeth and spit, and not rinse out, because not only does fluoride make your teeth physically stronger, but it actually kills the bacteria that cause decay,” she explains.

“It can even reverse decay in its end stages, which means that if you have a cavity that's starting, fluoride is going to stop it from progressing and it's going to stop you needing filling, therefore reducing your dental bills and improving your oral health,” she adds.

Using mouthwash after you brush your teeth, Dr. Manouchehri states, could reverse the positive effects of fluoride.

“If you use mouthwash straight after you've brushed your teeth, you're basically removing the protective fluoride layer from your teeth, which means you're making it more susceptible to getting cavities,” she says. 

Instead of using mouthwash right after you brush, Dr. Manouchehri suggests utilizing the product at a different time of day, such as after lunch, for a “bit of a refresh." Alternatively, one can use mouthwash before they brush their teeth to “freshen things up and remove some of the plaque before you go in with your toothbrush and floss.”

@drshaadimanouchehri #dentist #dentistry #learnontiktok #oralhealth #oralheathadvice #londondentist #londondentistry #lifehack ♬ original sound - Dr Shaadi Manouchehri

Commenters aren’t sure how to react

While many commenters were thankful for the advice, others expressed frustration at the seemingly contradictory tips given by the dental industry when it comes to teeth care.

“Yoh there’s too many rules we can’t keep up,” said a user.

“I’m tired,” added another. “Who has time to wait when they have to get ready for work in the morning.”

“Oooooo this made me so happy because my hubby hates that I use mouthwash before I brush and not after. Turns out i was right. Again," offered a third.

Some expressed hesitation about using fluoride in the first place. A summary of available data by Healthline noted that, while there are concerns about ingesting high amounts of fluoride, “Fluoride may help prevent cavities by decreasing demineralization, enhancing remineralization, and inhibiting bacterial growth and bacterial acid production in the mouth.”

The Daily Dot reached out to Manouchehri via Instagram direct message.

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