Listerine: Not Worth The Trouble
If you’re like me, we used whatever was given to us growing up. If it was soap, shampoo, toilet paper, or mouthwash, we pretty much had no choice. And for many years, your choices in mouthwash were either Scope or Listerine.
But as awareness of mouthwash has increased, so have your options; however, Listerine still seems to be the brand most people think about when they hear the word “mouthwash.”
The bad news is, the burning, bad taste is still the thought that comes to most people’s mind when they think of Listerine. The worse news? The taste may just be the tip of the iceburg.
For the purist in natural living, the question that must be asked is, “Is Listerine still my mouthwash of choice?”.
The short answer is a resounding NO. Listerine has been around for decades, but while the company has tried to improve its image by coming out with different flavors, the main ingredients remain the same… with the most noxious and unsafe ingredients being the alcohols.
The alcohols in Listerine (and in Scope and other store-branded bottles) cause a drying effect in the mouth. That’s the burning sensation you feel that ultimately makes you want to spit sooner than later. It is also that drying power that naturally causes more cells to die, resulting in an increased probability of having oral cancer.
So combining the horrid taste with the increased risks of cancer, we give Listerine or any mouthwash containing alcohol a big thumbs down. Stay far away from these.
We recommend alcohol-free mouthwashes, preferably ones containing the active ingredient stabilized chlorine dioxide.
For more information about the highly recommended rinse we use in the office, please use the contact form to send us an email. Breath Doctor mouthwash is a stable, natural mouth rinse that is incredibly effective in killing bacteria safely.
If you’re still not convinced, read through some of the comments below and discover some real life stories from other readers who have had experiences with Listerine.
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