As A Dentist I Recommend Listerine to My Patients, August 4, 2005
Reviewer: James Koenig "Konedog4" (Fergus Falls, MN United States) - See all my reviews
I am a dentist who uses Listerine on a daily basis. Without going into boring scientific detail, I use the product because it works - it kills germs associated with gingivitis and bad breath. To maximize the positive effects of Listerine, it has to be used correctly, so here are my recommendations:
1. Use it at least two times per day, in the morning and in the evening before bed. Yes, Listerine does kill millions of germs as advertized, but those germs replicate very fast and will return to regular levels in a very short period of time, so by using it twice or even three times per day, you keep germs depressed all day long.
2. Don't just swish with Listerine. Instead, put a "small" amount in your mouth, and then gently brush your teeth with your toothbrush, working the Listerine into the crevases between your teeth and gums, and in between your teeth. These are the areas where gingivitis germs grow and do damage to your gums. Since Listerine kills germs by direct contact, you want to get the product into the gum pockets to cleanse them - so use your toothbrush!
3. The longer you use Listerine, the better it works; so brush with it for at least 1-2 minutes per time. The longer contact time means more germs killed. After the teeth are clean, vigorously brush the top surface of the tongue to root out the germs that cause bad breath.
4. After cleaning your teeth with Listerine, you should briefly brush them again with a fluoridated toothpaste. I don't care what brand of toothpaste you use, as long as it has the ADA seal of approval and has fluoride in it. Put a small amount on the brush and gently brush your teeth. Now here comes the important part, don't rinse with water afterwards! If you thoroughly rinse with water afterwards, you are rinsing off the beneficial fluoride. The goal is to leave it on your teeth as long as possible, so brush, spit out the excess and don't rinse.
5. Floss your teeth once daily. There is no rinse in the world that can kill the germs that infect the teeth and gums in-between your teeth, so it is essential to floss once per day, preferably before bed. This is just as important as brushing!
Do this every day and your teeth and gums will be as healthy as you can possibly get them at home. This effort will save you hundreds of dollars, for you will cut down on cavities and the need for expensive dental scalings.
Listerine is a good product. As a dentist I recommend it and use it myself. The clean mint taste is a huge improvement over the original flavor, which I absolutely detest! Use a flavor of Listerine that is of your liking for best results.
Jim "Konedog" Koenig, DDS
