Thomas DeLauer Recap: Beet Juice, Xylitol and Tongue Scraping in His Take on Oral Health

The latest full video on Thomas DeLauer's official YouTube channel, "Ditch Mouthwash - This Stops Tooth Decay, Reduces Plaque and Kills Gingivitis", was posted on November 9, 2026 and runs about 7 minutes. DeLauer, a fitness and nutrition content creator, talks solo about the acid that bacteria in plaque produce, why he thinks the nitrate in beets can help the "good" bacteria in your mouth keep that acid in check, how xylitol works against cavity-causing bacteria, and a habit he believes undoes the benefit. The title is his framing; this article does not tell anyone to stop using a mouthwash their dentist or doctor recommended.

This is an independent summary written by GNOUP. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Thomas DeLauer, his channel, website or any sponsor. The views and claims described below belong to the speaker, not to GNOUP. This is general information only and is not medical or dental advice. Keep brushing, flossing and seeing your dentist, and do not stop using a mouthwash or rinse your dentist or doctor prescribed or recommended without asking them first. Please talk with a dentist, doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before changing your oral-care routine or diet. This matters especially if you have a medical condition (including kidney problems or blood pressure issues), take any medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, are under 18, or have a history of an eating disorder. GNOUP has no connection to any product, supplement, brand or paid offer mentioned in or around the video and does not promote any of them.

Key health tips and takeaways

These are ideas DeLauer shared in the video, not instructions. We do not include amounts or schedules.

• Acid is the target. DeLauer explains that bacteria in plaque ferment the carbohydrates you eat and release acid, and once that acid passes a tipping point it pulls minerals out of enamel and softens it, opening the door to cavities and stains.
• Beets feed the "good" bacteria. His main idea is that the natural nitrate in beets is concentrated into saliva, where bacteria on the tongue convert it to nitrite. He says these same health-associated bacteria also consume lactate, the acid behind enamel damage, which he believes raises the mouth's pH. He stresses that beets are not scrubbing anything; in his view they support a bacterial community that keeps acid down. He also connects the same nitrate pathway to blood pressure and blood flow.
• The catch: beet stains. He acknowledges that the red-purple pigments in beets (betalains) can temporarily tint the surface of teeth, and says rinsing with water afterward, or with a little baking soda in water, washes the pigment off before it settles.
• Xylitol works from the other direction. DeLauer says cavity-causing bacteria take up xylitol as if it were sugar but cannot use it, which he describes as jamming their energy production and cutting their acid output. He prefers xylitol gum or mints after meals over products sweetened with sucralose, and adds that chewing gum also boosts saliva, which buffers acid. He also warns that xylitol is toxic to dogs, so keep these products away from pets.
• Go easy on tongue scraping. He says occasional, gentle cleaning of the tongue is fine, but hard scraping every day or every other day strips away the nitrate-converting bacteria he is trying to support, and he links that disruption to lower nitrite production and higher blood pressure. He calls it a case of "more is not better."
• His view on antiseptic mouthwash. He applies the same logic to antiseptic mouthwash, saying in his opinion it wipes out the same bacterial community. That is his view; mouthwashes are sometimes prescribed for specific dental or medical reasons, so talk to your dentist before changing what you use.

A few practical notes from GNOUP, not from the video: beet juice can affect blood pressure, so people taking blood pressure medication or managing kidney problems should check with their doctor first, and none of these ideas replace brushing, flossing or dental care.

Newsworthy insights

These are claims and opinions from the video, set next to the two references listed in its description. GNOUP checked the PubMed records and abstracts of the linked studies but did not review the full papers.

• Nitrate and the oral microbiome. DeLauer describes a Journal of Oral Microbiology paper as pulling together 12 trials. The linked review is "The effects of nitrate on the oral microbiome: a systematic review investigating prebiotic potential" (Moran and colleagues, 2024, PMID 38420038). Its abstract covers 12 studies, both in living subjects and in the lab (not only clinical trials), and reports that nitrate often increased health-associated Neisseria and Rothia and raised pH in five studies. The authors conclude that more clinical trials are needed. They also suggest future studies look at whether chlorhexidine mouthwashes could be replaced or complemented by nitrate, which is a research question, not a finding.
• Xylitol gum. DeLauer says a BMC Oral Health review found xylitol gum cut plaque and cavities in 12 of 14 studies. The linked review is "Specific effects of xylitol chewing gum on mutans streptococci levels, plaque accumulation and caries occurrence: a systematic review" (Söderling and Pienihäkkinen, 2025, PMID 40731400). Its abstract says the 12-of-14 figure refers to lower mutans streptococci counts compared with sorbitol gum; plaque fell in 6 of 10 studies and cavities in 3 of 5 trials. The authors describe xylitol gum as an add-on to toothbrushing, not a replacement.
• Tongue scraping and blood pressure. His claim that frequent tongue scraping is linked to higher blood pressure is not covered by either linked reference, so we could not check it.
• Blood pressure benefits. His mention of nitrate supporting healthy blood pressure and blood flow is presented as a bonus in the video; the linked oral microbiome review mentions systemic health benefits only as a secondary finding.

Watch the video

Ditch Mouthwash - This Stops Tooth Decay, Reduces Plaque and Kills Gingivitis on YouTube (official channel "Thomas DeLauer," @ThomasDeLauerOfficial, published November 9, 2026, about 7 minutes)

Episode guide

These chapters come from the video's own description (titles lightly reworded). Each link opens the video at that point.

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:05 How beets counter the acid that erodes enamel
• 2:48 The catch: beet stains and a simple fix
• 3:37 Xylitol and cavity-causing bacteria
• 4:29 A sponsor segment (not summarized here)
• 5:34 The tongue-scraping mistake
• 6:35 Recap

About this summary

This recap was prepared from the video's title, description and chapter list, and a transcript of the video. We checked the PubMed records and abstracts of the two studies the video links to (PMID 38420038 and PMID 40731400), but we did not review the full papers. We left out a paid sponsor segment for an online grocery membership, along with its offer and the products it mentions, a plug for another of his videos about a mouth rinse, and the specific juice amounts and swishing times mentioned in the video. Transcripts can contain errors, so for the exact words and context, watch the video. This article is general information, not medical or dental advice, and is not a substitute for guidance from a dentist, doctor or other qualified healthcare professional.