Listerine Whitening Pre-Brush Rinse: Lives Up to the Promise

Listerine Whitening Pre-Brush Rinse is a relatively new product that promises an "easy way to whiten teeth," as well as killing germs that cause bad breath.

When I first saw this new mouth rinse on store shelves, it made me curious. I had used several teeth whitening products before, but I had never seen a mouthwash or mouth rinse that claimed to have the whitening effect. I must say I immediately liked the idea: mouth rinse is easy to use, and most of us use it anyway; so why not switch to one that not only cleans but also does some teeth whitening? That is, if it really does.

Not being a compulsive buyer, I went home and checked for online reviews of Listerine Whitening, hoping that some people have already tried this product and shared the results. I did find some reviews, and all of them were positive. Even though the product was new and most customers hadn't used it for very long, they claimed to have noticed some whitening effect. They were also impressed with how well Listerine Whitening cleans the mouth and fights bad breath.

So, on my next trip to the store I bought a standard bottle (15qt, with the squeeze-and-turn cap) of Listerine Whitening Pre-Brush Rinse. I paid around $6 for it. According to the directions on the bottle, the mouth rinse is to be used twice a day, morning and evening, and not more than that - obviously, the formula is too strong for more frequent use. As the name of the product indicates, the rinse should be used before brushing teeth. The recommended amount is about 3 teaspoons, and I can attest that it is quite enough: the mouth rinse foams as you start rinsing, so if you take more than that you will end up with more bubbles in your mouth than it can hold, and you'll be forced to spit some out. The product should not be used by children younger than 12 years old. One bottle is said to "96 uses or 48 days of usage." Now that I am finishing that first bottle I bought, I can say that it did last me about that long.

After the first several times I used Listerine Whitening, I knew this was a keeper. While it was too soon to expect any whitening results at that point, I was completely charmed by the product's strong germ-killing effect. I have used several brands of mouthwash before, and I can't remember any of them making my mouth feel so clean, and for so long. That alone is enough for me to keep buying this product.

As to teeth whitening, yes, I do see some, even though it is said on the bottle that results are to be expected at 12 weeks, and I haven't been using this mouth rinse that long. While my results are not drastic, they are good enough for me to say that Listerine Whitening does live up to its promise of being an easy way to whiten teeth.