Tastes berry nice, but I can't easily afford it!! (Listerine Smart Rinse Berry Mouthwash)

Member Name: bamamo

Product:	Listerine Smart Rinse Berry Mouthwash
Date:	27/07/09 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tastes good, spill-proof bottle, gets kids interested in brushing their teeth

Disadvantages: Bottle doesn't last long, too expensive, doesn't feel as fresh as a mint flavour

As I mentioned in my previous dental reviews, I have been making much more of an effort with my tooth-brushing routine since I got braces in April, and this has involved using a mouthwash every day. I must admit, I find most mint mouthwashes or "grown up" Listerine products too overpowering and just can't get past the taste, so I decided to try out Listerine for kids, in fun berry flavour.


At the time of purchasing, there was a 3 for 2 offer on dental products at Boots, so I ended up buying two bottles of this as they are normally pretty expensive at £4.10 for 500ml. There is also a mild mint flavour, but I was worried that the bright colour of the mouthwash could stain the clear ligatures around my braces, and if this happened thought red would look slightly less noticeable than bright blue! Fortunately, it didn't.

Apart from doing the obvious mouthwash functions you would expect such as freshening the breath and preventing plaque build up, it contains fluoride which is particularly recommended for brace-wearers so sounded good to me. For kids, who obviously it is aimed at, this is essential for healthy teeth with no cavities (Listerine claim it can reduce them by up to 40% from brushing alone). It doesn't contain alcohol or sugar.

As I mentioned, in the past I have found that Listerine, particularly the dreadful "purple" version, tends to taste rather like poison. Smart Rinse, however, tastes really nice! Even when using a minty toothpaste, the berry flavour is not too strong and adds a little fun to the old dental hygiene routine - who says everything has to taste of mint anyway?!

Another "fun" feature is that you are able to see what you have rinsed out in the sink, as it appears as bright pink (for berry flavour) particles in the sink, rather like what happens with Dentyl pH mouthwash. This will be fun for kids but I was a bit skeptical at first. Occasionally I would brush for ages and still get a lot showing up in the sink, but I suppose it shows how much you do miss by brushing alone. Given enough brushing, you will end up spitting out just the pink liquid with no "bits"! Unfortunately, these bits cling to my braces something rotten so I have to brush my teeth again afterwards unless I want to walk around with pink gunk all over my mouth. Attractive I don't think.

To make this even easier for kids, the bottle is spill-proof by using an optic to dispense the right amount. Squeeze the bottle until the mouthwash is up to the line, pour into the lid (or chug from the bottle if you're lazy like me) and you have the correct amount, mess-free. I suppose because I have an adult-sized (some would say particularly large!) mouth, it doesn't seem like very much to me compared to a half-cap of other brands, but it is enough to do a decent job. I do find though that using twice a day, the bottle doesn't last nearly as long as I would like for the hefty pricetag, and I can use up a bottle in around three weeks.

Also, despite how nice it may taste, berry-fresh is not quite the same as minty-fresh, and no matter how clean your mouth might technically be, it doesn't feel as downright fresh. This is nice for getting kids interested in a good dental routine, but in my opinion priced way too steeply and I will be suffering through cheaper bottles of mint flavour unless it crops back up on offer!

Summary: A nice novelty, works well as a mouthwash, but can't justify the price!