There’s an oral-care product that’s earned a permanent spot on my nightstand, which, after 45 years of marriage and a drawer full of gadgets my wife has politely tolerated, is saying something.
It’s not a toothpaste, floss, or even a tongue scraper…
Three sprays before I turn out the lights.
A spray after a carby dinner out, when I can’t brush for another hour.
Half a glass of water and three sprays when a 3 p.m. hunger pang hits. The craving usually settles down.
It’s a throat spray built around two of my favorite microbiome-friendly ingredients: propolis and green tea.
Why this one, and not the breath sprays of yore
Your mouth isn’t a battleground. It’s a garden, with more than 700 species of bacteria, most of which you depend on to keep you healthy.
Conventional mouthwash nukes the whole garden just to kill a few weeds. This throat spray tends to that garden…
Green tea polyphenols feed the good bacteria while pushing back on the ones behind cavities and gum disease. (A 2024 study found they’re especially tough on the bugs that drive gum disease.)
In a 2024 randomized trial, propolis actually beat chlorhexidine (the antiseptic in most medicated rinses) on plaque and gum inflammation over three weeks—and it did it without the staining, the weird aftertaste, or the collateral damage to all the “good guys” in your mouth working around the clock to keep you healthy.
How I’m using it
- Before bed, because saliva drops overnight and dry mouth = cavity city.
- After pizza night with the grandkids, because a carby meal leaves your mouth acidic for about an hour, and this spray helps it bounce back.
- When a hunger pang hits, with half a glass of water.
- On travel days, long flights, the car, anywhere a toothbrush isn’t handy.
One small thing: wait about thirty minutes before eating or drinking after you spray.
That gives the good bacteria time to do their work.
One bottle lasts me about two months.
We all love a little luxury: a nice cosmetic, a well-made piece of clothing, a small indulgence that adds some pizzazz to the day. To me, this is the oral-health equivalent.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mark
Studies and Further Reading
- Dewhirst et al., “The Human Oral Microbiome,” Journal of Bacteriology, 2010.
- “Antimicrobial effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate on periodontal disease-associated bacteria,” Archives of Oral Biology, 2024.
- Kushiyama et al., “Relationship between intake of green tea and periodontal disease,” Journal of Periodontology, 2009.
- “Comparative effectiveness of Propolis with chlorhexidine mouthwash on gingivitis – a randomized controlled clinical study,” BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 2024.
- March 6, 2026 Newsletter: What I wish more people knew about green tea + your teeth