Why I’m Always Grabbing the Listerine Mouthwash These Days

It’s not because I’m always passionately kissing my husband.

The Hines fooling around at Mordecai Plantation in Raleigh, NC. I'm probably telling my husband,
"Let's go out to dinner tonight after we leave here." Kissing probably wasn't on my mind. 

No, I’m grabbing the Listerine Mouthwash three times a day because I’m now hooked on how clean my mouth feels.

If you remember, I was asked to participate in the Listerine #SweetSmart challenge for three weeks along with my two children. What we had to do was simple.  Brush, Floss, and Rinse.  We were asked to do this because brushing alone gets only 75 percent of your mouth clean, and my participation was part of a campaign to bring awareness about pediatric oral health, which is the No. 1 chronic childhood disease.

How did we do?  Drumroll, please.

I learned that new toothbrushes, and toothpaste excite kids about brushing their teeth.  The power of pink, Princesses, and Barbies. My daughter used Barbie Listerine Smart Rinse which has a pink tint. 

We did great for 2/3 of the challenge. However, we are flossing failures. We did not do well in that area at all.  Not going to lie. We did not floss daily.

Did we brush for two minutes? No, we did not do well in this area, either. We brushed several times a day, but two minutes was like climbing Mount Everest for my youngest.  She’s in a tough stage right now, and it’s called MISS INDEPENDENT.  She wants to put her own toothpaste on her brush, she wants to brush her own teeth, and she wants to rule the time in the bathroom.  She yells, “Go away! Leave!”

Listerine Smart Rinse is recommended for use in children six and older.  She did not swallow the rinse so
we feel comfortable in letting her use it under supervision. 

Yes, I know I am the parent, but when your morning routine is already tight, you pick your battles. 

However, we were 100 percent successful using Listerine Smart Rinse twice a day for the kids. The rinse is designed for kids, provides 12-hour cavity protection, and strengthens teeth 99 percent better than brushing alone.

Both of my kids were happy to use this, and before the challenge, my son only rinsed once a day.  During the challenge, both kids rinsed twice a day.  The directions say that the rinse is meant for children, beginning at age 6.  My almost 3-year-old used it under supervision, and she knew how to use it properly.  The key is in spitting, not swallowing.  She had no problem with this task, so I let her use it for the challenge because she wanted to do it.

She loves it.  And we will continue to add this to our dental routine once my complimentary bottles are empty.  I will buy Listerine for myself as well. 

Listerine Smart Rinse has a fantastic cap to help children get the right amount. Personally,  I think Listerine
needs to do the same concept with the adult brand. I sometimes get too much, too little. 

I also tried the smart rinse; I was curious because it stains food particles so children can actually see that brushing alone didn’t do the job.  This was AMAZING.  It really became a game to see if you can brush well enough so that there are not any colored food particles in the sink.

Listerine, can you do that with the adult version, too?  It really makes you feel as though you’ve accomplished something.

Overall, we changed our dental habits for the better.  Yes, we still need to work on the flossing. We are not perfect. I have also been more diligent about the type of candy my children consume. 

For Halloween this year, I gave out dark chocolate, which is the best type of candy for the teeth because it has tannins in it to protect the teeth. I think the tooth fairy would approve. 

My friend made this costume for her daughter for Halloween this year.  I thought it was so cute for my story that I had to share it with you. 

You can thank me now for giving you another reason to eat dark chocolate.  And my husband thanks Listerine for making my breath great 24/7.

Don't forget to enter my great luxury hotel getaway with The Ballantyne Hotel and Lodge in Charlotte, NC. The giveaway will end at 12:01 am on November 17. 

Tweet Disclosure: I received products from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc, and The Motherhood as part of my participation in the LISTERINE SMART RINSE Sweet Smart Challenge.  All thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.