Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Mouthwashes Promise A Breath of Fresh Air

By LAURA JOHANNES
August 19, 2008; Page D2

If you've got dragon breath, you may want something more powerful than a standard antiseptic mouthwash. A bevy of odor-neutralizing mouthwashes with special ingredients claim to eliminate bad-smelling gases and provide long-lasting breath protection. Scientists say published efficacy testing is so far scant, however rinses with zinc are likely to be effective.


Standard over-the-counter mouthwashes such as Scope and Listerine contain antiseptics designed to kill bacteria in your mouth. While they can improve breath, their effects are often short term as the bacteria grow back. Procter & Gamble's Scope, for example, kills bacteria that cause bad breath, but the company makes no claims as to how long the beneficial effect will last.

[illustration]
Tim Foley

Another class of mouthwashes contains several ingredients designed to break down odiferous gases. Most of the mouthwashes contain an oxidating agent, such as sodium chlorite, which the companies say chemically neutralizes mouth gases. That chemical process releases oxygen and makes the mouth less hospitable to odor-causing bacteria, according to the companies.

Often the mouthwashes also contain zinc, an ingredient scientists say has documented laboratory activity against smelly gases. University of British Columbia scientist Ken Yaegaki says zinc has been shown by a number of scientific teams, including his own, to act against bad-breath gases.

The result of these new mouthwash formulas, the companies claim, is long-lasting protection. California dentist Harold Katz says his TheraBreath rinse, distributed through major retailers, improves breath for eight to 12 hours. Oxyfresh Worldwide Inc., of Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, which markets its rinse for sale in dentists' offices, claims up to six hours. Triumph Pharmaceuticals Inc., of St. Louis, says its SmartMouth rinse works 12 hours because positively charged zinc ions bind to bacteria to prevent biochemical processes that create smelly gases. To release the zinc ions, you mix a small amount from each of two pump bottles into a small cup.

Manufacturers recommend you rinse at least twice daily. The mouthwashes are expensive, often costing $10 to $12 a month.

One of the few rigorously designed tests of the oxidating mouthwashes is a 48-patient study on SmartMouth, published in 2004 in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry. That company-funded study found that smelly sulfur gases in the mouth were reduced by 55% during the monthlong trial, compared with no significant change for a control mouthwash. Sniff tests of saliva by judges also showed improvement.

Scientists warn that gas-reduction data in mouthwash tests, measured by a device called a halimeter, isn't always accurate. Saliva sniff tests are better, says Walter Loesche, professor emeritus of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, but those are also subjective.

Dentists say the products are worth a try, but aren't a substitute for good oral hygiene. I don't think there is a product that is "a magic bullet to bad breath," says American Dental Association spokesman Richard Price.

In recent years, big-name companies have been adding zinc to their products. P&G in 2005 introduced zinc-containing Crest Pro-Health, which it says provides 12 hour breath protection based on its internal tests. Johnson & Johnson says the main purpose of regular Listerine is to tackle bacteria that cause plaque and gingivitis, but Advanced Listerine contains zinc for added breath protection.

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1 comment:

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