LISTERINE® brand rinses: safety and tolerability

Alcohol-containing rinses have no causal link to oral dryness 

In clinical trials: 

Safe for xerostomic patients²³

Does not promote oral dryness^23-25

Fischman, et al. American Journal of Dentistry 2004;17(1):23-26²³

 14 days of exaggerated use (3x per day; more than recommended dose) by subjects xerostomic as a result of Sjogren’s syndrome 

Finding: Favorable tolerability, no drying of oral mucosa, and no decreased salivary flow rates  

Kerr, et al. Quintessance International 2007;38(8):41-48²⁴ 

2-week randomized, crossover pilot studying the use of alcohol and non-alcohol-containing mouthrinses in healthy adults 

Finding: No significant differences in salivary flow rates or patient-reported sensations of dry mouth between alcohol and non-alcohol-containing mouthrinse groups

Kerr, et al. Journal of Dental Research 2011;90 (Special Issue A): Abstract²⁵ 

3 month clinical study comparing two mouthrinses on salivary flow and perceived dryness 

Finding: Alcohol-based essential oil mouthrinse no more likely to cause a reduction in salivary flow or perceived dryness than a non-alcohol-based cetyl pyridinium chloride (CPC) mouthrinse 

Alcohol-containing rinses have no link to oral cancer 

In clinical trials: 

No credible link to oral cancer^26-29 

LISTERINE® Antiseptic is the most extensively tested mouthwash in the world, with over 30 long-term clinical trials examining its safety and efficacy⁴² 

Food and Drug Administration. 2003 Federal Register 2003; 68(103):32232-32287²⁶ 

FDA subcommittee reviewed 7 case-control studies 

Conclusion: “Data do not support a causal relationship between the use of alcohol-containing mouthrinses and oral cancer. The vote was unanimous…”

Cole, et al. Journal of the American Dental Association 2003; 34(8):1079-1087²⁷ 

Review of 9 case-control studies, published in JADA 

Finding: alcohol-containing mouthwash does not increase risk of oropharyngeal cancer 

“…the weight of the evidence strongly suggests that use of alcohol-containing mouthrinse (ACM) does not increase the risk of OPC. Practicing dentists may recommend to their patients that they use the mouthwashes of their choice, including those that contain alcohol.”

La Vecchia, et al. Oral Oncology 2009;45:198-200²⁸ 

Critical review of published data 

Finding: Link between mouthwash use (specifically alcohol-containing mouthwash) and oral cancer is not supported by epidemiological evidence 

“The pattern of risk is not different with reference to alcohol-containing mouthwashes, and other types of mixed use of mouthwashes. This, again, weighs against any relevant association between alcohol-containing mouthwashes and oral cancer risk.”