Oral Bacteria Reset question
I’ve had chronic bad breath for years and am desperate for a solution. Every treatment says to use strong antibacterial mouthwashes to kill everything, then take oral probiotics to replace them with "good" bacteria.
Here is my confusion: From what I understand, oral probiotics don’t actually permanently colonize or change the oral microbiome the way live bacteria from fermented foods do.
If a harsh mouthwash wipes out our mouth's natural defenses, and the probiotics don't stick around, aren't we just creating a vicious cycle where the fastest-growing "bad" bacteria take over again?
Questions for the community:
• There are many pieces of advice in the bad breath subreddit to use baking soda plus castile soap together to clean the tongue and mouth. If all bacteria gets killed by doing this, long term how do we bring back the good bacteria?
• Fermented Food Dilemma: We know overnight fermented foods help the gut, but pass through the mouth too fast. Is there a way to actually use fermented foods to benefit the mouth?
• Has anyone successfully fixed their oral microbiome and chronic bad breath without using harsh antibacterial rinses?
• What actually works? What are the best, scientifically backed ways to encourage beneficial, live bacteria to thrive in the oral cavity long-term?
I'd love to hear your experiences or any research you've found!