Does mouthwash break a fast?

Mouthwash is rinsed around your mouth and spat out. Because none of the rinse is meant to go down, it adds nothing to digest and no calories that count. On the four goals this site uses to sort answers, mouthwash is safe for weight loss, blood sugar, autophagy and gut rest. The same verdicts apply to a fluoride rinse your dentist recommends.

Whatever the ingredients list on your bottle, they matter for a fast only if you swallow the rinse. Read the label if you want to know what is in it. If you or a child swallow more than the amount used for rinsing by accident, get medical help.

Timing matters more than the fast. Do not use mouthwash straight after brushing, even a fluoride one, or it washes away the concentrated fluoride your toothpaste left on your teeth. Choose a different time, such as midway through your fasting window. After a fluoride mouthwash, do not eat or drink for 30 minutes.

That 30-minute gap fits a fast well, since you are not eating anyway. Plan it so the rinse is not right before your first meal or a drink. As a worked example, if your eating window opens at 12:00, a fluoride rinse at 11:00 leaves time to spare before you eat.

Some people use mouthwash or a toothbrush to freshen their mouth during a long fast. Both are fine for every goal. Sugar-free gum and breath mints are different, as you swallow some of their sweeteners and they have a few calories. Each of them has its own entry in this database.