LISTERINE® Antiseptic reduces germs that travel thru bloodstream

September 24, 4:39 PMHealth and Science ExaminerP. Elizabeth Anderson

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Photo: NIH, NLM

A new clinical study shows that LISTERINE® Antiseptic significantly reduces the amount of germs that travel from the mouth to the bloodstream in people with mild to moderate gingivitis. Untreated, gingivitis progresses into advanced gum disease, known as periodontitis. 

When germs migrate into the bloodstream, serious health problems that affect areas beyond the mouth can manifest, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and pneumonia. Exactly how this happens is unknown, but emerging science has revealed an association between advanced gum disease and serious illnesses.

Physicians often recommend that people with certain common heart conditions and those recovering from surgical procedures, such as hip replacements, take antibiotics prior to dental procedures to avoid the risk of bacteria entering the bloodstream. The danger of germs migrating from plaque is the principle behind that policy.

Now, news from this new well-designed study confirms you can easily prevent bacteria from entering the bloodstream. In the study, conducted at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Listerine reduced bacteria by up to 70 percent.  Results will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Dental Association. 

As is typical with new research, studies to confirm the results will be needed, but using Listerine seems like a simple way to avoid big problems.  I know, this sounds like a commercial, but I can't say it another way:   Listerine has been shown to kill the germs that cause plaque and gingivitis before they can get in your bloodstream and cause serious damage.

No one has paid me to say this. This almost seems like snooze news, but if Listerine is the only over-the-counter mouthwash proven to work in the kind of scientific studies on which our system of medicine is based, it’s worth consideration.  And it is the one shown to penetrate the layer of bacteria that can collect on surfaces in the mouth—called plaque biofilm—and find its way into the bloodstream.

Avoiding bad breath is not the only reason to keep your teeth clean and your mouth healthy.  Bad breath is certainly an indicator of a problem, but a regular oral hygiene regimen can have a positive effect on the health of your whole body.

Please watch this video from the Johnson & Johnson.  You'll be shocked at how important it is to keep your mouth healthy.

Who knew?:  LISTERINE® is the only nationally branded over-the-counter mouthrinse to earn the ADA Seal of Acceptance for preventing and reducing plaque and gingivitis.  More than 50 clinical studies have examined its safety and efficacy, and it has been used safely by more than one billion people for more than 100 years.  It was first marketed for oral hygiene in 1895. LISTERINE® Antiseptic contains a fixed combination of four essential oils.  Essential oils.  Who knew?
 

Source: Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., which supported the study and are the makers of Listerine.