Dentist Anna Peterson has gone viral with a new TikTok video in which she tells folks that if they are using mouthwash after brushing their teeth they are doing it all wrong. She says in the clip, “Using mouthwash after brushing your teeth is going to give you tooth decay, so stop doing it."
After the post went viral, prompting a bunch of questions, Anna explained what she meant. She shares that because toothpaste has way more fluoride than mouthwash – about 1450 pp vs. 220 pp – the mouthwash isn’t enough to protect your teeth from sugars after eating and drinking. She says when you rinse with mouthwash right after brushing, you are washing off the high concentration of fluoride and leaving the lower one, which makes your teeth vulnerable.
She adds, “And by no means am I against mouthwash. Because I do actually recommend it to my patients,” noting, “But not every patient needs it. I certainly don't tell them to use it after brushing." Anna suggests picking a different time to use mouthwash, like say after lunch, and also insists folks stay away from food or drink for 30 minutes after using it.