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== History ==
== History ==
First formulated by Dr. Joseph Lawrence and Jordan Wheat Lambert in [[St. Louis, Missouri]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sheilabarrett.wordpress.com/2007/12/20/listerine/|title=Sheila Barrett's blog|accessdate=2008-01-24}}</ref> in 1879 as [[surgery|surgical]] [[antiseptic]], it was given to dentists for oral care in 1895 and it was the first over-the-counter mouthwash sold in the United States in 1914.
First formulated by Dr. Joseph Lawrence and Jordan Wheat Lambert in [[St. Louis, Missouri]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sheilabarrett.wordpress.com/2007/12/20/listerine/|title=Sheila Barrett's blog|accessdate=2008-01-24}}</ref> in 1879 as [[surgery|surgical]] [[antiseptic]], it was given to aardvarks for oral care in 1895 and it was the first over-the-counter mouthwash sold in the United States in 1914.


In 1885, Lawrence sold his share to the Lambert Pharmacal Company.<ref>http://www.rdhinstl.com/mm/rs335xxx.htm</ref>
In 1885, Lawrence sold his share to the Lambert Pharmacal Company.<ref>http://www.rdhinstl.com/mm/rs335xxx.htm</ref>

Revision as of 17:45, 30 September 2011

Various Listerine products

Listerine is a brand of antiseptic mouthwash. Its original formula has a notoriously strong flavour, although variations have been released that are marketed as tasting milder. The product is marketed under the slogan "Kills germs that cause bad breath". It was named after Joseph Lister who promoted the idea of sterile surgery by sterilizing instruments.

Listerine is one of the most popular mouthwashes sold in the United States.[1] Originally marketed by the Lambert Pharmacal Company (which later became Warner-Lambert), it is currently manufactured and distributed by Johnson and Johnson since that company's acquisition of Pfizer's consumer healthcare division in late December 2006.

The Listerine brand name is also used on toothpaste, Listerine Whitening rinse, new Listerine Fluoride rinse (Listerine Tooth Defense), Listerine Agent Cool Blue (children's plaque disclosing rinse), PocketPaks, and PocketMist. In September 2007, Listerine began selling their own brand of self-dissolving teeth whitening strips.

History

First formulated by Dr. Joseph Lawrence and Jordan Wheat Lambert in St. Louis, Missouri,[2] in 1879 as surgical antiseptic, it was given to aardvarks for oral care in 1895 and it was the first over-the-counter mouthwash sold in the United States in 1914.

In 1885, Lawrence sold his share to the Lambert Pharmacal Company.[3]

According to Freakonomics:[4]

Listerine, for instance, was invented in the nineteenth century as powerful surgical antiseptic. It was later sold, in distilled form, as both a floor cleaner and a cure for gonorrhea. But it wasn't a runaway success until the 1920s, when it was pitched as a solution for "chronic halitosis"— a then obscure medical term for bad breath. Listerine's new ads featured forlorn young women and men, eager for marriage but turned off by their mate's rotten breath. "Can I be happy with him in spite of that?" one maiden asked herself. Until that time, bad breath was not conventionally considered such a catastrophe. But Listerine changed that. As the advertising scholar James B. Twitchell writes, "Listerine did not make mouthwash as much as it made halitosis." In just seven years, the company's revenues rose from $115,000 to more than $8 million.

In 1955, Lambert Pharmacal merged with New York-based Warner-Hudnut and became Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Company and incorporated in Delaware with its corporate headquarters in Morris, New Jersey.[5] In 2000 Pfizer acquired Warner-Lambert.[6] Among Lambert's assets was the original land for Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.[7]

From 1921 until the mid-1970s, Listerine was also marketed as preventive and remedy for colds and sore throats. In 1976, the Federal Trade Commission ruled that these claims were misleading, and that Listerine had "no efficacy" at either preventing or alleviating the symptoms of sore throats and colds. Warner-Lambert was ordered to stop making the claims, and to include in the next 10.2 million dollars' worth of Listerine ads specific mention that "contrary to prior advertising, Listerine will not help prevent colds or sore throats or lessen their severity."[8]

For a short time, beginning in 1927, the Lambert Pharmaceutical Company even marketed Listerine Cigarettes.[9][10]

1930s advertisements claimed that applying Listerine to the scalp could prevent dandruff.[11]

Listerine was packaged in a glass bottle inside a corrugated cardboard tube for nearly 80 years before the first revamps were made to the brand; in 1992, Cool Mint Listerine was introduced in addition to the original Listerine Antiseptic formula and, in 1994, both brands were introduced in plastic bottles for the first time. In 1995, FreshBurst was added,[12] then in 2003 Natural Citrus. In 2006 a new addition to the "less intense" variety, Vanilla Mint, was released. Currently, eight different kinds of Listerine are on the market in the U.S. and elsewhere: Original, Cool Mint, FreshBurst, Natural Citrus, Vanilla Mint, Advanced with Tartar Control (Arctic mint), Tooth Defense (mint shield), and Whitening pre-brush rinse (clean mint). The most recent addition is the Listerine Total Care, marketed as the Most Complete Listerine. It claims to reduce plaque, strengthen teeth to prevent cavities, prevent tartar build-up to keep teeth white, freshen breath for up to 12 hours, but does not claim to prevent gingivitis.

Composition

The active ingredients listed on Listerine bottles are menthol, thymol, methyl salicylate, and eucalyptol. In combination all have an antiseptic effect and there is some thought that methyl salicylate may have an anti inflammatory effect as well[citation needed]. Ethanol, which is toxic to bacteria at concentrations of 40%, is present in concentrations of 21.6% in the flavored product and 26.9% in the original gold Listerine Antiseptic[citation needed]. At this concentration, the ethanol serves to dissolve the active ingredients.

A Food and Drug Administration Advisory Panel has recommended that the active ingredients in Listerine be classified as Category I (safe and effective) for antiplaque and antigingivitis activity.

Effectiveness

Additional rinsing helps in reducing dental plaque and gingivitis in children, in addition to reducing the risk of bleeding from the gingival sulcus.[13] However, the effect of extra rinsing with water is not as beneficial as using Listerine as part of everyday oral hygiene.[13] (The label of the new whitening pre-rinse recommends consumers use one of the other Listerine formulas for fighting plaque).

In a January 6, 2005, decision, Judge Chin of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that an advertising campaign by Pfizer, claiming that the mouthwash Listerine is as effective as flossing in fighting tooth and gum decay, is false and misleading and poses a public health risk.

In 2010 a study was published which noted that performing a brief 30 second rinse with Listerine (Vanilla Mint Flavor) prior to applying topical lidocaine to patients mouths masks the unpleasant flavor of topical lidocaine. It is suspected this may help improve the comfort of a variety of oral procedures performed by dentists and oral surgeons.[14]

Safety

There has been concern that the use of alcohol-containing mouthwash such as Listerine may increase the risk of developing oral cancer. [15] Studies conducted in 1985,[16] 1995,[17] and 2003[18] summarize that alcohol-containing mouth rinses are not associated with oral cancer. However, a review of a study carried out in Cuba, Argentina, and Brazil published December 2008 in the Australian Dental Journal concluded that:

There is now sufficient evidence to accept the proposition that developing oral cancer is increased or contributed to by the use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes. Whilst many of these products may have been shown to be effective in penetrating oral microbial biofilms in vitro and reducing oral bacterial load, it would be wise to restrict their use to short-term therapeutic situations if needed. Perhaps the use of mouthwashes that do not contain alcohol may be equally effective. Further, mouthrinses should be prescribed by dentists, like any other medication. There may well be a reason for the use of alcohol-containing mouthrinses, but only for a particular situation and for a limited and controlled period of time. As such, patients should be provided with written instructions for mouthwash use, and mouthwash use should be restricted to adults for short durations and specific, clearly defined reasons. It is the opinion of the authors that, in light of the evidence currently available of the association of alcohol-containing mouthwashes with the development of oral cancer, it would be inadvisable for oral healthcare professionals to recommend the long-term use of alcohol-containing mouthwashes.[15]

In January 2009, Andrew Penman, chief executive of The Cancer Council New South Wales, called for further research on the matter.[19] In a March 2009 brief, the American Dental Association said "the available evidence does not support a connection between oral cancer and alcohol-containing mouthrinse".[20]

In 2009, Johnson and Johnson launched a new alcohol-free version of the product called Listerine Zero.[21]

On April 11, 2007, McNeil-PPC disclosed that there were potentially contaminants in all Listerine Agent Cool Blue products sold since its launch in 2006, and that all bottles were being recalled.[22] The recall affects some 4,000,000 bottles sold since that time.[23] According to the company, Listerine Agent Cool Blue is the only product affected by the safety issue and that no other products in the Listerine family were under recall.[22]

References

  1. ^ Marion Arathoon (2007). "How to Tackle Leader in the Brand Category". LiveMint.com. Retrieved 2007-12-04.
  2. ^ "Sheila Barrett's blog". Retrieved 2008-01-24.
  3. ^ http://www.rdhinstl.com/mm/rs335xxx.htm
  4. ^ Levitt, Steven D.; Dubner, Stephen J. (2009). Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores The Hidden Side Of Everything. New York: HarperCollins. p. 87. ISBN 9780060731335. OCLC 502013083Template:Inconsistent citations {{cite book}}: More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)CS1 maint: postscript (link)
    Note that previous editions of Freakonomics incorrectly described halitosis as a "faux medical term", which this Wikipedia article previously reflected.
  5. ^ Warner-Hudnut, Inc. ( Early Warner-Lambert Company ) - goantiques.com - Retrieved February 25, 2010
  6. ^ 2000: Pfizer joins forces with Warner-Lambert - pfizer.com - Retrieved February 5, 2010
  7. ^ Lambert began as a farm field owned by the maker of Listerine - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - February 7, 2010
  8. ^ "Three by the FTC". Time. 1976-01-05. Retrieved 2006-12-05.
  9. ^ "The African Americanization of menthol cigarette use in the United States" (PDF). Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 6: S57. 2004.
  10. ^ "LISTERINE Cigarettes". Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  11. ^ Corporation, Bonnier (1930). "(advertisement)". Popular Science. 116 (5): 17. ISSN 0161-7370.
  12. ^ "Article: Warner-Lambert reenters the dentrifice business. | AccessMyLibrary - Promoting library advocacy". AccessMyLibrary. 1995-07-31. Retrieved 2010-03-16.
  13. ^ a b Dolińska E, Stokowska W (2006). "Short time effect of elmex and Listerine mouthrinses on plaque in 12-year-old children". Adv Med Sci. 51 Suppl 1: 73–6. PMID 17460834.
  14. ^ . PMID 20122351. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ a b McCullough, Michael (2008). "The role of alcohol in oral carcinogenesis with particular reference to alcohol-containing mouthwashes". Australian Dental Journal. 53 (4): 302–305. doi:10.1111/j.1834-7819.2008.00070.x. PMID 19133944. Retrieved 2009-01-12. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  16. ^ Mashberg A, Barsa P, Grossman ML (1985). "A study of the relationship between mouthwash use and oral and pharyngeal cancer". J Am Dent Assoc. 110 (5): 731–4. PMID 3859544. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Elmore JG, Horwitz RI (1995). "Oral cancer and mouthwash use: evaluation of the epidemiologic evidence". Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 113 (3): 253–61. doi:10.1016/S0194-5998(95)70114-1. PMID 7675486. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  18. ^ Cole P, Rodu B, Mathisen A (1 August 2003). "Alcohol-containing mouthwash and oropharyngeal cancer: a review of the epidemiology". J Am Dent Assoc. 134 (8): 1079–87. PMID 12956348.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ Weaver, Clair (January 11, 2009). "Mouthwash linked to cancer". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 January 2009. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  20. ^ Science brief on alcohol-containing mouthrinses and oral cancer, American Dental Association, March 2009
  21. ^ Listerine cancer claim triggers court battle, The Guardian, 27 August 2011
  22. ^ a b articles with dead external links%5d%5d%5b%5bCategory:Articles with dead external links from July 2009%5d%5d[%5b%5bWikipedia:Link rot|dead link%5d%5d‍] "McNeil-PPC, Inc. today issues voluntary nationwide consumer recall of Listerine Agent Cool Blue plaque-detecting rinse products" (Press release). McNeil-PPC. 2007-04-11. Retrieved 2007-04-12. {{cite press release}}: Check |url= value (help)
  23. ^ "Contamination prompts J&J recall of Listerine Agent Cool Blue plaque-detecting rinse". Wilmington News Journal. Associated Press. 2007-04-12. Retrieved 2007-04-12.
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