Both have ingredients that kill germs, so how come Listerine seems to tout that fact a lot more in their ads? Triumph of advertising?
Both contain alcohol and, according to this thread, non-alcoholic mouthwash, such as Crest, is more effective.
More effective for what?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2355095&dopt=Citation
"Efficacy of Listerine, Meridol and chlorhexidine mouthrinses on plaque, gingivitis and plaque bacteria vitality.
Brecx M, Netuschil L, Reichert B, Schreil G.
Department of Conservative Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Tubingen, FRG.
The experimental gingivitis model was used to compare the anti-plaque, anti-gingivitis and anti-microbial efficacies of a phenolic compound (Listerine) and an amine/stannous fluoride mouthwash (Meridol), using a placebo preparation as negative control and a chlorhexidine solution as positive control in a double-blind study. After professional toothcleaning, 36 volunteers performed optimal oral hygiene for a period of 2 weeks. They then ceased all oral hygiene procedures for 21 days during which they rinsed twice daily with 1 of the 4 mouthrinses. After 3 weeks of rinsing, plaque indices remained the lowest in the chlorhexidine group, while subjects using Listerine or Meridol harbored similar indices significantly lower than that of individuals rinsing with the placebo solution. Up to that time, the gingival index scores were equal in all groups except for the chlorhexidine group in which the values only amounted to half of these encountered in the other groups. The plaque vitality scores showed a bactericidal effect in vivo of chlorhexidine during the entire time of experimental gingivitis. In contrast, the data gave no evidence of an antibacterial effect in vivo of Listerine. The efficacy of Meridol to kill micro-organisms was similar to chlorhexidine during the early stages of plaque accumulation and, with time, became insignificant. This study has demonstrated that chlorhexidine was superior to Listerine and Meridol in its ability to maintain low plaque scores and gingival health during this 3-week period of no mechanical oral hygiene. Moreover, it was also shown that Meridol was as effective as Listerine in reducing plaque accumulation and, in contrast to Listerine, possessed a remarkable but transient antibacterial effect in vivo."
"Plaque bacteria counts and vitality during chlorhexidine, meridol and listerine mouthrinses.
Netuschil L, Weiger R, Preisler R, Brecx M.
University of Tuebingen, School of Dental Medicine, Department of Conservative Dentistry, Tuebingen, Germany.
The aim of this double-blind study was to enumerate the total number of living and dead bacteria on defined tooth areas during the application of antibacterial mouthrinses. After prophylaxis, 40 students refrained from all oral hygiene measures for 3 d, during which they rinsed with a phenolic compound (Listerine), an amine fluoride/stannous fluoride solution (Meridol), 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) or a control solution (0.02% quinine-hydrochloride). The plaque index (P1I) was recorded at the start and the end of the investigation. Total bacterial counts (BC) and colony-forming units (CFU) of 1d-, 2d- and 3d-old dentogingival plaque were determined. The plating efficiency (PE) was calculated as a percentage of CFU/BC and the portion of vital microflora estimated by a vital fluorescence technique (VF). All groups started with a P1I approximating 0.1. On day 3, the P1I values were 1.21 in the control group and 0.51, 0.37 and 0.14 after Listerine, Meridol and CHX use, respectively. A tremendous variation existed between the numbers of viable bacteria found per mm2 on the enamel surface and day 3 (CHX: 0.2; Meridol: 300; Listerine; 6x10(4); control: 2x10(6)), while higher total numbers of bacteria were concomitantly present (CHX and Meridol: 1-2x10(4); Listerine: 2x10(5); control: 2x10(6)). Both vitality parameters PE and VF reached 92% in the control group at day 3, but only 7% after CHX use. With Meridol and Listerine, the corresponding PE values were 3% and 43%, respectively, while the VF values reached 48% and 54%. The PII, BC, CFU and PE values of the CHX and the Meridol groups differed significantly from those of the control group. In contrast, Listerine showed no difference as compared to the control rinse. Due to the strong antibacterial action of CHX and Meridol during their use, almost only dead or non-proliferating bacteria were found on the tooth surfaces. Thus, only a thin plaque could develop. As a clinical consequence, both substances showed retardation of plaque development as reflected by significantly reduced plaque indices."
Did Listerine every say it was more effective? All I recall is that they say they kill germs, but they don’t compare themselves. Their claim to kill germs is probably accurate, but then, bad breath sometimes is not caused by germs (e.g., onion and garlic bad breath is due to chemicals that enter the lungs from the bloodstream).
Listerine uses “kills germs” as a way to differentiate the brand. If you make a claim – even if it’s true of all products – you establish this in the mind of the public. So if Scope claims the same thing, people think, “Listerine already does that. Why is that anything different?” And in order to make people switch brands, you need to make them think there is something different.
Just out of curiosity, say I wished to switch to Corsodyl Mouthwash, how come every site on the internet that sells it is based in the UK. I cannot find one store in the USA that sells it. Does this, in fact, suggest that it isn’t legal to sell here? (I.E Prescription only?)