Mouthwashes

Sensodyne Pro-Namel

€4.69 for 250ml €18.80 a litre

THIS IS two-tone in colour and promises to reveal the cause of bad breath and plaque in the sink. You shake it, swig it, swirl it around in your mouth, spit it out and all the nastiness appears in a different colour when it splatters onto the ceramic. But why? Why do we need to see this?

While it has novelty value, it is a value that quickly wears off, trust us, not least because not only does it show you how bad your teeth are, it also means you have to clean the sink. It has plenty of zing and promises to kill more than 99 per cent of oral bacteria, which is, we suspect, a pretty meaningless boast. It is kind of faddy – and kind of dear too. Very dear but good.

Verdict: Why?

Star rating:**

Aquafresh Extreme Clean

€3.39 for 500ml €6.80 a litre

THIS PROMISES not just any old clean but an extreme clean, whatever that might mean – not a whole lot, we suspect. We are also told to expect a “purifying” mouthwash which “actively freshens breath” and “helps keeps gums healthy”. Best of all, though, we were promised a product which would help “clean the tongue”. It is all so wearying.

While this product is long on ridiculous promises, it is really just another breath-freshening mouthwash. It’s grand and has a pleasingly long-lasting zing, and its clear colour is a little different and shows that you don’t need to add artificial colourings to bring some zing to things.

Verdict: Long-lasting

Star rating: ****

Listerine Zero

€5.60 for 500ml €11.20 a litre

AH HERE now! What have they done to our Listerine? This is undoubtedly the most well- known mouthwash on the market and, in its original format, it is brilliant for waking you up and leaving your mouth feeling almost painfully minty. This alcohol-free option is a whole different ball game. While it may well have cleaned our mouth as well as its older cousin, it didn’t feel as if it was doing such a thorough job. Then there is the price which is, to our mind, a little dear.

Verdict: Tame

Star rating:***

Corsodyl

€4.95 for 300ml €16.35 a litre

THIS IS one of a handful of mouthwashes on the market that has FDA approval for its medicinal qualities, and is certainly the one to go for if you are trying to deal with a specific problem. It has a gentle peppermint flavour which some may find appealing, while others may be disappointed by its distinct lack of zinginess. The small print tells us that it really should not be used for longer than 30 days. And then there is the staining issue. It is one of the very few mouthwashes on the market that actively stains your teeth which, really, is not ideal.

Verdict: Short bursts only

Star rating: ***

Dentyl Active Plaque Fighter

€4.89 for 500ml €9.80 a litre

TWO THINGS attracted us to this bottle last week. First it is “new” and, seriously, who can resist new things? It also has an “acid protection formula” that will protect us from wine acids. Now, truth be told, we did not know what wine acids were or that “acid erosion” was such a big issue with our teeth until the good folk at Sensodyne informed us of it on this bottle.

Obviously we were most concerned, not least because of the amount of wine acids that might be attacking our teeth each week. However after swilling it round our mouth for a bit, we became even more concerned about the flavours. They were insipid and not sufficiently minty. We were also rather concerned by the price of this and the size of the bottle.

Verdict: Dear, weak, small.

Star rating:**