Listerine

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#16 Post by **Granola** » Sat May 06, 2006 10:16 am

For those that like the effects of Listerine, but not the bite of it--if you dilute it with water, it completely eliminates the bite. I use a little in my Waterpik (very little) with warm water,and it makes my mouth feel incredibly clean. If I am rinsing with it directly, I use an approximate ratio of 1/3 Listerine to 2/3 warm water.

#17 Post by **Dark_angel** » Sat May 06, 2006 2:43 pm

I believe somewhere on my bottle of listerine it tells you not to dilute it.

#18 Post by **Granola** » Sat May 06, 2006 3:06 pm

I believe somewhere on my bottle of listerine it tells you not to dilute it.

It does not say this on my bottle. It does say to rinse with it full strength. I choose not to follow those instructions.

#19 Post by **missingu** » Sat May 06, 2006 3:41 pm

(source http://www.therahealth.biz/articles&info/htm

FYI-

"Here's how much alcohol (in Percentage and Proof) is contained in the leading mouthwashes. (Beer, wine, and hard liquor have been added as a comparison):
Product

% Alcohol As Proof

Jack Daniels Bourbon 43% 86

Amaretto Liqueur 28% 56

Listerine Mouthwash 27% 54

Scope Mouthwash 19% 38

Wine - Chardonnay 12.5% 25

Mentadent Mouthwash 12% 24

Wine - Merlot 11.5% 23

Beer 3% 6"

Sobering thought.

#20 Post by **missingu** » Sat May 06, 2006 6:26 pm

Try working on a rehab unit -- think they rinse with Listerine?

This list of alcohol content was to make a point about alcohol content. Maybe, just maybe, some people don't like the idea of using alochol-based products. I don't give a flying...about whether alcohol does or does not dry a person's mouth out but I do think a little public awareness about alcohol content is a good thing. Some people aren't aware. There is still some debate over whether using a heavy alcohol-based mouthwash will cause a person to "blow" a higher score on a breathalyzer. Sure doesn't help when the cop smells your breath.

#21 Post by **missingu** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:41 pm

This is from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the premier medical journal in the US
(www.jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/270/24/2955)

Breath alcohol values following mouthwash use

J. G. Modell, J. P. Taylor and J. Y. Lee
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham 35294-0018.

OBJECTIVE--To determine whether breath alcohol values (BrAV) attained following mouthwash use pose a realistic threat to the accuracy of blood alcohol determinations by breath analysis. DESIGN--Nonrandomized, open-label trial. SETTING--Outpatient research office. PARTICIPANTS--Ten normal subjects; convenience sample. INTERVENTIONS--Breath alcohol measurements were made 2, 4, 6, 10, and 15 minutes following rinsing of the mouth with Listerine (26.9% alcohol) [corrected], Scope (18.9% alcohol), and Lavoris (6.0% alcohol) using the Alco-Sensor III intoximeter. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Breath alcohol values over time. RESULTS--Breath alcohol values following mouthwash use decayed exponentially (r2 > or = .98, P < .001) from mean values 2 minutes following mouthwash use of 52.8 mmol/L (240 mg/dL) for Listerine, 37.4 mmol/L (170 mg/dL) for Scope, and 7.9 mmol/L (36 mg/dL) for Lavoris to mean and maximum values after 10 minutes that were well below the usual driving-while-intoxicated range (> or = 17.6 mmol/L [80 mg/dL]) for all three brands. The nonalcoholic mouthwash ingredients did not significantly affect the BrAVs attained. CONCLUSION--The decay of BrAVs following mouthwash use is sufficiently rapid that mouthwash use would not pose a realistic threat to the accuracy of blood alcohol determinations by breath analysis under normal circumstances. Use of mouthwash immediately prior to breath testing, as might occur in the car or workplace in a mistaken attempt to hide the smell of alcohol or other substances, may, however, significantly increase the measured BrAV.

The following is from Wikipedia, not as reputable as JAMA but they cite direct sources:

"On the other hand, products such as mouthwash or breath spray can "fool" breath machines by significantly raising test results. Listerine, for example, contains 27% alcohol; because the breath machine will assume the alcohol is coming from alcohol in the blood diffusing into the lung rather than directly from the mouth, it will apply a "partition ratio" of 2100:1 in computing blood alcohol concentration -- resulting in a false high test reading.

This was clearly illustrated in a study conducted with Listerine mouthwash on a breath machine and reported in an article entitled "Field Sobriety Testing: Intoxilyzers and Listerine Antiseptic", published in the July 1985 issue of The Police Chief (page 70). Seven individuals were tested at a police station, with readings of .00%. Each then rinsed his mouth with 20 milliliters of Listerine mouthwash for 30 seconds in accordance with directions on the label. All seven were then tested on the machine at intervals of one, three, five and ten minutes.

The results indicated an average reading of .43% blood-alcohol concentration -- indicating a level that, if accurate, approach lethal proportions. After three minutes, the average level was still .20%, despite the absence of any alcohol in the system. Even after five minutes, the average level was .11% -- well over the legal limit.

In another study, reported in 8(22) Drinking/Driving Law Letter 1, a scientist tested the effects of Binaca breath spray on an Intoxilyzer 5000. He performed 23 tests with subjects who sprayed their throats, and obtained readings as high as .81% -- far beyond lethal levels. The scientist also noted that the effects of the spray did not fall below detectable levels until after 18 minutes."

Thoughts?

#22 Post by **missingu** » Sat May 06, 2006 8:33 pm

The article chose those Listerine and Scope, I figure, because Listerine and Scope are #s 1 and 2, respectively, for market share. The article was emphasizing the alcohol content in the major mouthwashes, as many people may not have known they had alcohol.

Listerine is the leading mouthwash in the U.S., with a 30% market share last year, the company said. Domestic sales were $238 million, while sales in Europe and Japan added $42 million. (Wall Street Journal, April 23, 1991, B1 - dated, but I believe still accurate)

Scope, with 16 percent of the mouthwash market, is No. 2 behind Listerine, made by the Warner-Lambert Company. (New York Times, May 5, 1994)

Regarding rehab, no probably not a lot of posters have been through rehab, but I bet some have. As published by the US Govt. agency who focus on alcohol issues, "According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), nearly 14 million Americans (1 in every 13 adults) abuse alcohol or are alcoholics." And believe me, if a person is desperate, they'll go for the mouthwash. I don't think there's any harm in making note of the high alcohol content of the major brands, in case someone is high-risk and doesn't know to stay away. If 1 out of 13 persons has an alcohol problem (and that is way higher for the college crowd), then I am certain there are posters for whom the information might be helpful.

#23 Post by **missingu** » Sat May 06, 2006 9:54 pm

For the record, until seeing this post, I didn't know that mouthwash had alcohol in it, but then, I've learned that my input (because it doesn't always tow the party line) is not particularly appreciated. Believe it or not, there are some people here who haven't been reading this forum their whole life and just came aboard. Maybe they might value learning about alcohol and mouthwash.

If every thread had to be unique, there would be a lot fewer theads, especially on Metal Mouth Forum, but fortunately people respond to newcomers who ask a question that has been asked many times before.