The Mouthwash Wars: How to Find the Best Mouthwash

We are bombarded with advertisements on TV. We can't get on-line without a pop up ad. Magazines have more advertisements than they do articles. Companies want us to buy their products and it leads to a dizzying amount of information about things you need, things you may need and things you don't need--but the advertiser wants you to buy.

Mouthwash is in the category of things you "may" need. The advertisers want you to believe that without it, you will be an outcast because of bad breath, stained teeth, gingivitis and a host of other ailments. Because most people buy mouthwash and because it's been a while since I did a comparison study, I decided to compare several brands of mouthwash and publish my results.

The contenders are 3 different products that all claim to freshen breath and kill germs. Plus each mouthwash has a claim to do something additional. They are:

#1 Vanilla Mint Listerine (antiseptic to kill germs that cause bad breath, plaque and gingivitis)

#2 Crest Whitening Rinse (alcohol free--whitens teeth, protects against stains and kills bad breath germs)

#3 Biotene with Calcium (alcohol free--kills germs, freshens breath, treats dry mouth)

Listerine is the only product that carries the ADA approval, meaning that the American Dental Association has put their seal of acceptance on it. If you've never used Listerine, be prepared to burn your mouth and gums out of your head. Listerine has a medicine taste -- like a mixture of rubbing alcohol, Vick's Vapor rub and paregoric. Listerine contains menthol and eucalyptus (which are actually the first 2 ingredients in Vick's Vapor Rub). The manufacturers of Listerine decided to add flavor (in this case Vanilla Mint) so that they could convince people it really would freshen breath. The directions say to swish for 30 seconds. The Vanilla Mint is a nice addition, but it still burns.

Crest Whitening Rinse has a nice smell and minty fresh taste, but I am concerned about the soapy after taste it leaves. While you are swishing it foams up and then leaves a soapy residue in your mouth. The directions say swish for 60 seconds. After looking closely at the bottle's ingredients, I think the soapy residue must be from the hydrogen peroxide and propylene glycol (which is also used in moisturizers, antifreeze and to defrost planes). After using Crest Whitening Rinse for a few weeks I didn't see a difference in my teeth. They weren't any whiter and the only information on the bottle was: "Safely whitens with regular use".

Biotene has a nice smell and great taste. It also contains propylene glycol but also has beneficial antibacterial enzymes, natural peppermint and aloe vera. The directions on Biotene say to swish or gargle for 30 seconds, as needed. This mouthwash has the best taste of all 3, but it is the only product that cost $10.00 for 16 fluid ounces.

Of the 3 mouthwashes compared, I would recommend Listerine. It's got the least amount of chemicals and is ADA approved to be safe and effective. With regular use the burn seems to diminish somewhat and at $7.00 for 1.5 liters it is the most cost effective.