Listerine's Oral Care Challenge

Did you know that brushing alone misses 75% of your mouth?  Or that 50% of children will have a cavity or filling between the ages of 5 and 9?  Makes you think twice about what you’re doing to keep your mouth healthy, right?!!  February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, so there’s no better time to start re-thinking how you and your family take care of your mouths.

I will admit that when I read those words, I was skeptical. After all, I'm a pretty thorough brusher. I am a bit ridiculous, I will admit, when it comes to the floss. I do have a mouth full of fillings, though, and most of my kids have had at least one filling - so maybe I DO need to think twice about what we are doing - doing the same thing will give the same results, after all -

and I'm not saying I'm happy with the results we have right now.

Did you know?

• Nearly 75 percent of American adults suffer from various forms of periodontal (gum) disease and don’t know it.
• Brushing your teeth alone misses the germs in 75% of your mouth.
• According to a survey conducted by the makers of LISTERINE® and REACH®, over one-third of Americans don’t eat their favorite foods or smile in photos because of dental problems like cavities, tooth pain and gingivitis.
• Even sadder, 15 percent don’t kiss their loved ones.

In conjunction with LISTERINE® and REACH®, I've decided to take part in the Oral Care Challenge. We are going to re-evaluate our oral care habits and learn why taking a few extra minutes a day for a complete oral care routine that includes brushing, flossing and rinsing is so important. For the next three weeks, we've committed to using the products provided - the ones pictured above - to floss, brush and rinse twice a day. At the end of the challenge, we will be visiting the dentist to see how our mouths are - and if they reflect the efforts we've made.

I promise to floss every day - that's easy. I promise to brush twice a day - piece of cake. I promise to rinse with Listerine twice a day - uuuhhh, wait a minute. I'm not a fan of Listerine - it's too sharp, too bitter and just too, too much. And how will I get my kids to use the Listerine when I can't even stand it?

The next three weeks should be very, very interesting. (Spolier alert - I've been VERY pleasantly surprised at the products I was sent...)

Are you a Listerine user? Do you brush/floss/rinse twice a day? Will you take the challenge with me?

I was provided with product and compensated for my participation in the Oral Care Challenge. However, all thoughts and opinions are all my own.

Comments

[addy]

Well, I brush twice a day. Don't floss as often as I could though. I can't use Listerine. Too strong. I rinse with water after I brush. Does that count? Let's see how I do with the flossing thing this month.

[Williams Schermer]

I also brush, floss and rinse twice every day, though I only use a milder brand for my mouthwash. But I would love to try that Listerine. Well, as long as it will keep my breath fresh without stinging too much, then it's a good buy.

[Megan]

I love mouthwash but had to give up on the brands with alcohol (Listerine and the Target version of Listerine) after realizing they test on animals. I'm not trying to get political here. It's a personal decision whether to buy these brands. But that was it for me.

I've started using Tom's of Maine, but I gotta admit, I miss my orange Listerine. And orange Target rip-off Listerine.

I brush and rinse twice a day and floss once a day. It took me many failed starts to get into the habit of flossing once a day, so I'm not going to lose sleep over trying to do it twice a day. My dentist seems happy.

But I've noticed dentists and hygienists never actually recommend mouthwash, which makes me wonder if it really matters from an oral health perspective.

[Molly Stevens]

I try so hard to do everything in order to keep my mouth clean and healthy, but sometimes it seems so tedious! Especially in the morning when I am running late for work, or dropping my kids off at school. I try to see my dentist at least every other month for a good cleaning. The people at my dental office are just so thorough and really make my mouth feel clean!