Cool Mint Listerine, tastes no better than the original

When I woke up with a toothache, and had no idea what was causing it, I looked through the medicine cabinet to see what we had to make it feel better. I found a sample bottle of Cool Mint Listerine that I received a while ago and never used because honestly, I never did like the taste of Listerine products. Since I did not know what was causing the pain and the mouthwash is an antiseptic, I gave it a try. I figured if there was infection in there, even if I could not see it, this might help to clean it out and clear it up.

Just like the original, Cool Mint Listerine is supposed to kill germs that cause bad breath, plaque and gingivitis for 24 hours but with a new taste. It is one of several new flavors that have been introduced in the last few years. The active ingredients are eucalptol, menthol, methyl and thymol. According to the box, to be most effective, you should use 2/3 of an ounce, for 30 seconds, twice a day. It also states that it should not be used by children under 12. After reading that, I wondered if that warning is something new because I vividly remember my mother making me use it when I was younger than that. It does contain 21.6% alcohol so that is probably the reason for the warning. It is approved by the American Dental Association.

Well, as far as the taste, they can call it Cool Mint Listerine but I can't say that I really noticed any mint flavor. It is slightly better to me than I remember the original being but it still has the "burn" and the lingering aftertaste.

I used it as directed for several days and my toothache did not get any worse and eventually did go away. I can not say for sure it was from using the mouthwash but other than a bad taste in my mouth, it certainly did not hurt me in any way. Hopefully in the process, I helped to fight some plaque and gingivitis as well.

As for my overall impression, I can'tsay that the taste is any better than I remembered. I also don't think it will be on myshopping list unless my Dentist recommends it. Fortunately, this was afree sample so I was not out any money for giving it a try. My rating isbased primarily on the taste of this product and if I enjoyed using itand not on its overall effectiveness since I have no real way to judgeif it improved my mouth health or not.

To learn more about Listerine products, you can visit their web site.