If you use mouthwash straight after brushing your teeth, you could actually be doing more harm than good.

A dentist has warned against the popular routine and revealed what you should be doing instead for optimal dental hygiene.

Dentist’s mouthwash warning

“I will never use mouthwash straight after I brush my teeth,” Dr Shaadi Manouchehri said. “I’ve been a dentist for almost 10 years and it still shocks me when people tell me that they use mouthwash after they brush their teeth.”

She explained that everyone should be brushing their teeth with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day. The mineral makes the teeth physically stronger while also killing the bacteria that causes decay and reversing decay in the early stages.

If you use mouthwash straight after brushing, you are removing the protective fluoride layer that the toothpaste has just put onto your teeth, making you more susceptible to getting cavities. So, that brushing was pointless!

Cavities are tiny holes in your teeth that occur when the tooth decays. They can lead to serious toothache, infection and even tooth loss if left untreated.

You should never rinse your mouth with water immediately after brushing either for the same reason. The water washes away the concentrated fluoride in the toothpaste, reducing its preventative effects, the NHS says.

When you should use mouthwash

If you do want to use mouthwash, you need to use it at a completely different time to brushing, the dentist explained. This could be after you’ve eaten lunch if you want your mouth to feel fresh, or any other time throughout the day.

You can also use mouthwash before brushing your teeth to remove some of the plaque before you go in with your toothbrush and floss.

“Using a mouthwash that contains fluoride can help prevent tooth decay, but don’t use mouthwash (even a fluoride one) straight after brushing your teeth or it’ll wash away the concentrated fluoride in the toothpaste left on your teeth,” the NHS warns.

They say to choose a different time to use mouthwash and never eat or drink for 30 minutes after using a fluoride mouthwash.

Dr Shaadi Manouchehri is a dental surgeon and facial aesthetics practitioner who graduated from Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry

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