A recent study published in *Springer Nature* found that people with healthy teeth tend to have a high population of beneficial bacteria in their mouths—without the need for toothpaste or mouthwash.
Surprisingly, many common dental products, like toothpaste and mouthwash, contain harsh chemicals that can harm the mouth’s natural microbiome. This may explain why teeth preserved outside the body, such as those in fossils, can last for centuries, yet inside our mouths, they can quickly decay from everyday foods like chocolate.
