LISTERINE® proudly supports National Smile Month once again

Johnson & Johnson Ltd., the makers of LISTERINE®, are delighted to support National Smile Month once again, to help raise awareness of the essential care provided by dental professionals nation-wide and the importance of oral health among the general public.

Plaque management

At the end of 2020, Johnson & Johnson launched The Dental Professional’s Guide to Mouthwash Use with the Oral Health Foundation, created as a plaque management tool to help patients take control of their own oral health at home.  

The booklet covers the role of mouthwash as part of the daily oral health routine, as well as recommendations for mouthwash use based on the latest available evidence.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, believes mouthwash can be a key component of daily oral hygiene, yet the message has been lost amongst the general public.

Dr Carter says: “A patient’s home routine is fundamentally linked to their oral health status.  The key to developing and maintaining good oral health is effective daily plaque removal that can be independently achieved by the patient.

“While mechanical cleaning dislodges plaque bacteria, data suggests that this is not enough in a majority of people to maintain good levels of oral health.  Therefore, as an addition to brushing and interdental cleaning, we would recommend the use of an effective antimicrobial mouthwash.”

Updated evidence base

Most recently, an updated evidence base reaffirmed the role of an antibacterial mouthwash in specific circumstances as an adjunct to mechanical cleaning.1

Figuero and colleagues (2019) conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the adjunctive use of 11 different mouth rinse formulations.1

They concluded that adjunctive antiseptics in mouthwash provide statistically significant reductions in plaque compared to mechanical plaque controls alone at six months.1

They also came to the conclusion that, ‘… despite the high variability in the number of studies comparing each active agent and the different risks of bias, CHX [chlorhexidine] and EOs  [essential oils], in mouthrinses appeared to be the most effective active agents for plaque … control.’1

It has been demonstrated that when used as an adjunct to mechanical cleaning, LISTERINE® Total Care, an essential oil mouthwash, manages plaque levels, to help prevent gingivitis.2

LISTERINE® Total Care may therefore support the efforts of a patient requiring early intervention, by virtue of its essential oil formulation consisting of eucalyptol, thymol, menthol and methyl salicylate, all of which are proven to:

  • Penetrate the plaque biofilm3

  • Manage the bacterial load of the mouth4

  • Reduce maturation of remaining biofilm colonies.5

The LISTERINE® Total Care range also offers differing levels of fluoride to meet individual patients’ needs.

To download  your copy of the Guide to Mouthwash Use visit https://www.dentalhealth.org/the-dental-professionals-guide-to-mouthwash-use or www.listerineprofessional.co.uk

References

  1. Figuero E et al. Efficacy of adjunctive therapies in patients with gingival inflammation. A systematic review and meta-analysis. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpe.13244; 23 December 2019
  1. Boyle et al. Mouthwash use and the prevention of plaque, gingivitis and caries. Head & Neck Oral Diseases 2014; 20(1): 1-76
  1. Pan et al. Determination of the in situ bactericidal activity of an essential oil mouthrinse using a vital stain method. J Clin Periodontol 2000; 27: 256-261
  1. Minah et al. Effects of 6 months use of an antiseptic mouthrinse on supragingival dental plaque microflora. J Clin Periodontol. 1989; 16: 347-352
  1. Johnson & Johnson. Data on file (2)

UK-LI-2100287

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