Spit or swallow, you decide? (Listerine Original)

Member Name: Sarccyslayer

Product:	Listerine Original
Date:	12/11/07 (1019 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Clinically proven to work, has won countless awards, is relatively cheap

Disadvantages: Some say the taste

Having good teeth is important to me, I will never forget the time when the dental nurse came into school and proceeded to embarrass everyone who didn't brush their teeth properly by making us eat those horrid tablets which showed up the dirt and grime on your teeth and then showed the whole class where we needed to brush and to brush properly. The best thing about those visits was the good people got some sweets (which I always found slightly odd) and we were given a free toothbrush, a sticker and some toothpaste. Ever since that day I've sworn to have healthy teeth and gums and aid that fight not only do I visit the dentist regularly every 6 months but I clean my teeth religiously twice a day, floss and use mouth wash.

My choice of mouthwashes is one other than Listerine Antiseptic Mouthwash Original because it is the one my mum always used to buy and because I've never bought anything else. Listerine has also won numerous Oral Care Products of the year and this year is no exception and in doing so it must be a quality product. I buy my Listerine from my local Asda store where it is currently on a buy one get one free offer for the 500ml bottles and for two of those at £4 it is definitely worth stocking up on. The smaller bottles cost in the region of £2.38 and for that you get 250ml whereas the 500ml bottle would usually cost £3.79. So looking out for the BOGOF offer is definitely worth while.

So why do I need to use a mouthwash? Well like most mouthwashes Listerine is designed to help prevent and reduce the build-up of plaque, reduce the risk of gingivitis which is an inflammation of the gums caused by the build-up of plaque and prevent halitosis. When meeting and greeting people the face, lips and mouth are one of the first things that are noticed because they play the most vital role in communication, whether it is through speaking, helping to form facial expressions, to drink, to eat and most importantly they are vital for kissing which can be anything from a peck on the cheek to a full blown kiss and the whole time your teeth will be on display as you speak. Not only that but when you do speak your breath will be evident and if you have a touch of halitosis then it could be quite embarrassing as people squirm when you are talking to them and also having discoloured teeth would not be impressive or attractive either. So it is important that when I do meet and greet people my teeth are shiney and white and I don't have bad breath.

My twice daily routine of oral hygiene does include me brushing my teeth twice a day and flossing to ensure I have removed any lingering food particles which my toothbrush hasn't managed to removed and then using my mouthwash, Listerine suggested that using their mouthwash every twelve hours will give you and your teeth twenty-four hour protection against plaque. When using the mouthwash it does state on the bottle that you should "Rinse full strength for 30 seconds with 20 ml (2/3 fluid ounce or 4 teaspoonfuls) morning and night" so rather than being pedantic and measuring out the liquid I simply use the cap on the bottle to pour my liquid into. Having done that I then tip my head back and gargle for as long as I can because swirling the mouthwash around my mouth and then spitting it out. Once I have done this I run my tongue over to my teeth to see if I am happy with the feel and what I am looking for are no traces of missed areas from brushing, you know when you have that sticky film like feel across your teeth?. There is also a warning on this bottle which you should adhere too and that is not administering this mouthwash to children under twelve years of age.

Listerine does come in a whole host of different flavours for those of you who are not too keen on the look of Listerine Original Antiseptic and along with the different favours comes a plethora of different colours. However Listerine Original which has been around I am told since 1895 is sold in a plastic bottle with a screw top lid. On the front of the bottle is the label which clearly depicts the words Original Listerine Antibacterial Mouthwash in black letters on a white background and below the words is encased in a red box is a diagram of teeth depicted before and after what they presume teeth to be like when using Listerine and with this picture comes a statement which says "Reduces Plaque by up to 56% more than brushing alone" a statement which Listerine say is clinically proven.
The Listerine liquid is to describe it bluntly wee coloured which could be slightly off-putting to potential customers. The first thing to hit you when you unscrew the cap is the antiseptic smell which is really powerful but to me reminds me of cleanliness like when you visit the dentists surgery and everything smells clean, that is what Listerine reminds me of. Now with the wee coloured liquid and the powerful antiseptic smell you already fear that it is going to taste rather foul and although it doesn't taste of strawberries and cream, I personally have grown used to the taste when swirling it around my mouth knowing that it might not taste brilliant but it good for my teeth and gums and quite literally it tastes antiseptic the description given describes it well in my opinion.

SO why does it taste the way it does? Well given that I like to know all about ingredients when using a particular product I did look on the back of my Listerine bottle to find that there are four main active ingredients some of which are essential oils and the first being Thymol which very strong antiseptic qualities so this is where the smell comes from. Next we have Eucalyptol which is an essential oil and is found in many products today but for the purpose of a mouthwash it is used because it brings about a cooling sensation so when you have used Listerine and your mouth feels cool this is why because used alongside Menthol which is another ingredient to Listerine they work together to bring about that slightly cool minty aftertaste, much like chewing on airwaves chewing gum for too long. For further ingredients please consult your bottle of Listerine.

I find that after I have used Listerine my mouth does feel clean, the taste is an acquired one but you do get used to it after a time and as someone who has used it for over fifteen years I can guarantee you do get used to it. Listerine is definitely a quality product because with over hundred years experience in making Listerine and being voted number one in oral hygiene with countless awards and an ADA (American Dentist Association) stamp of approval they must have got something right, even if the taste isn't nice. So I do recommend this product quite highly.

Summary: Listerine mouthwash (I won the Ciao Product of the week with it)