“You
should use mouthwash and floss regularly for healthy teeth and gums” – for a
long time I always wondered why I pretended to heed this dental advice while
secretly ignoring it completely – well now I know. Apparently mouthwash causes
cancer!
Yes,
it’s finally happened, mouthwash (containing alcohol) has joined that ever
growing list of secretly evil, carcinogenic consumer products. It seems my
ignorant ignorance of sound dental advice has stood me in good stead against
the perils of mouth cancer. But what now of the poor embattled mouthwash
companies? What do you do when peer reviewed scientific research suggests you
main product could inherently kill people?
Well,
cry is a likely first reaction. Then you read the story again…as per usual, the
story has been sensationalised out of all proportion. But it’s out there, and
people are going to be worried,
leading to loss of reputation and sales.
Of
course, for a big company crisis management 101 is likely to swing into action
right away. But the case is slightly different here, in that there isn’t
actually anything wrong with mouthwash products. There isn’t any tampering or
malicious intent etc. As such, a recall is out of the question and would cost a
company dearly; even further increasing worry about the products. In which
case, making spokespeople available, informing consumers that the company is
looking into the research, even a pledge of support in both money and time for
further research, should all follow.
Listerine
(Johnson & Johnson) is one brand
that has been targeted by the media, although presumably any alcohol-based
mouthwash is at threat. Statements (“Johnson & Johnson Ltd UK, the manufacturer of
Listerine, said: "There is no scientific evidence to support an
association between the use of alcohol- containing mouthwashes, such as
Listerine, and an increased risk of oral cancer.”) have been issued but it remains to be seen what else will
be done and how the brand will fare.
Watch with interest – these are dangerous times for mouths and mouthwash
companies…
Glad to have listerine. I use this mouthwash everyday. I love this product so much.
-heather-
Posted by: santa barbara cosmetic dentist | February 04, 2009 at 06:25 AM
If you are looking for a mouthwash,you can used this product and i assure you how it really works but of course make it sure if gonna be alright this to you.
by: alpha
Posted by: dentist pasadena | February 18, 2009 at 05:07 AM