Listerine

TheBody

Hi all.

I usually use Listerine Zero as the other types burn the head off me!

Anyway, other brands of mouthwash are usually quite a bit cheaper. So, I was wondering is Listerine actually better or is it just good marketing?

HeidiHeidi

TheBody wrote: »

Hi all.

I usually use Listerine Zero as the other types burn the head off me!

Anyway, other brands of mouthwash are usually quite a bit cheaper. So, I was wondering is Listerine actually better or is it just good marketing?

I love that burn-the-head-off-me feeling!

I've tried other cheaper ones, but they always taste much sweeter (how could that be good in a mouthwash ), and just don't feel at all as good.

So on that spectacularly non-scientific basis, I always return to Listerine.

Will be very interested if anyone who actually knows about this comes along

TheBody

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I love that burn-the-head-off-me feeling!

I've tried other cheaper ones, but they always taste much sweeter (how could that be good in a mouthwash ), and just don't feel at all as good.

So on that spectacularly non-scientific basis, I always return to Listerine.

Will be very interested if anyone who actually knows about this comes along

I honestly can't hold the other brands of Listerine in my mouth for more than a second!!

I don't mind paying the extra if it's any good but I don't want to be paying extra for clever marketing!

DublinWriter

I always thought the 'burning' sensation was caused by bacteria dying?

If you use it regularly (three times a day) the stinging sensation should decline as your actively killing the bacteria in your mouth.

I take a mouthful and force air into my mouth (i.e. puff my cheeks out) to force it into the little pockets between gum and tooth to prevent further pocketing and gum decay.

Oral Surgeon

No, he burning is usually the alcohol or mint....

DublinWriter wrote: »

I always thought the 'burning' sensation was caused by bacteria dying?

If you use it regularly (three times a day) the stinging sensation should decline as your actively killing the bacteria in your mouth.

I take a mouthful and force air into my mouth (i.e. puff my cheeks out) to force it into the little pockets between gum and tooth to prevent further pocketing and gum decay.

EoghanIRL

One of the most important things to check is the ppm of fluoride.
For mouth wash I think it's around the 220/225 ppm mark..

coylemj

I changed dentist recently and my previous and new dentists seem to be fairly lukewarm about mouthwashes. I rinse with original Listerine once a week - is it worth doing it more often or is it just clever marketing that makes people think you should be doing it more than once a day?

Big_G

Mechanical disruption of plaque is the gold standard - i.e. brushing and flossing. If your plaque control is good with these two, in theory mouthwash shouldn't be necessary. It is helpful for things like bad breath and getting a good 'mouth feel' of cleanliness. The additional exposure to fluoride that it provides is good. I wouldn't be going crazy over mouthwash. The marketing which says kills 99.9% of oral bacteria or whatever is nonsense, if that were the case then we wouldn't need to brush or floss. The point is, bacteria lives in the mouth on surfaces in 'biofilms' which are layers of bacteria that link together inside a protective coating. Only the bacteria on the surface of the film get exposed to the mouthwash and it is only those that are killed. The guys underneath are usually fine. There is some evidence to suggest that even the guys on the surface become more resistant to rinses and other aids. You've gotta get in there and break up the biofilm somehow. Brushing, flossing, TePe brushes, Waterpiks etc all seem to do well.

The best way to demonstrate this is with plaque disclosing solution which should be available in the chemist. Use some and then use mouth rinse, see how much of the stain is left. Then brush and floss and see how much of the stain is left.

Zzippy

My dentist recommended a mouthwash without alcohol in it, as she said alcohol can irritate the gums and make inflammation worse. I use Listerine Zero for this reason, plus it has fluoride as well.