Do you think mouthwash is healthy? Also what’s your views on toothpastes and what to look for/avoid when choosing them? Views on fluorides too?
Fluoride absolutely a must. You don’t swallow toothpaste or mouthwash so I don’t think there’s anything to discuss regarding nutrition. Get mouthwash with fluoride in it, rinse after every meal to fortify your enamel.
Mouthwash is bad for you. Your microbiome starts from your mouth and wiping it out is a bad idea. In fact I brush my teeth in the morning 30 to 60 minutes after finishing my breakfast, just because brushing your teeth will take out some of those fellas too.
> Short-term clinical trials have shown that antibacterial mouthwash deplete oral nitrate-reducing bacteria, and decrease systemic nitric oxide bioavailability. Our previous publication from the San Juan Overweight Adults Longitudinal Study (SOALS) was the first to show frequent over-the-counter mouthwash use was independently associated with increased risk of prediabetes/diabetes.
>Twelve percent (66/540) developed hypertension over follow-up. People who used mouthwash twice/day or more had higher incidence of hypertension compared to less frequent users
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7125030/
Mouthwash mainly just freshens breath and helps keep it fresh for a longer period of time. Definitely use fluoride in your tooth paste. I personally use Crest gum detoxify toothpaste. It is very important to keep your gums clean and healthy. I work in dentistry and a lot of people have hardly any cavities but suffer from gum disease, which makes their teeth just fall out eventually.