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It is not too often that I feel a North American “off the shelf” health product in Canada is fraudulent. Bending the truth, some may be, but for true lying through your teeth, snake oil-type fraud, no, I have come across few. At a recent trip to my dentist with my little weed I discussed diagnostic aids with my dentist. If there were only some way I could highlight his bad technique I could help him brush better. I recalled in my youth some red tablets that you can chew. My dentist said these “disclosing tablets” are still available, and still used on kids. Newer disclosing solutions were now available from drug stores, much easier to use and fun for kids. I found Listerine Agent Cool Blue at Pharmaplus for $5.50CAD, “tints plaque for better brushing” it says right on the bottle, in glacier mint. I have found this solution to be not only ineffective, but fraudulent. It does not tint sufficiently to actually allow you to see plaque. For helping me improve my son’s brushing technique it is useless. Please do not purchase this product, as it is useless for highlighting plaque.
Listerine, made by Johnston & Johnston Inc. are a reputable brand and company, so I was surprised at the fraudulent nature of their claim. Note that packaging and claims on the bottle in Canada are different from the USA. On the back of the bottle it claims:
“LISTERINE AGENT COOL BLUE Plaque Detecting Rinse is effective in highlighting plaque to improve tooth brushing effectiveness in children.” CANADIAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION
Directions: Children age 6 years and older: Rinse twice daily before brushing showing you where to brush!
While the solution lightly tints the teeth and mouth, it insufficiently tints plaque and food buildup so that you see no difference between teeth that have no buildup and teeth that need to be brushed. If one looks incredibly hard with a magnifying glass, at the right angle of light I can see a shading difference between clean and dirty surfaces of the teeth, but I can do this without the solution as well. After two mouthfuls of rinse the tint is gone, or so light as to be indiscernible.
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 Listerine Agent Cool Blue does not tint sufficiently to identify plaque. It is totally ineffective and fraudulent as a dental diagnostic tool. |
