Replied by Madelyn from Idaho on 04/15/2024

Hi Rob, I’m a big fan of your posts :) I think I’ll try a few rounds of 10 minute Listerine soaks!

Over the past few months, I’ve been using the original Listerine (amber color one) for the first time. My teeth are clean 24/7 and healthy now.

Dr Ellie Phillips DDS recommends using Listerine twice daily for 1 full minute as part of her protocol that she claims has worked for decades in all people to eliminate decay and restore dental health and tooth remineralization. She’s got lots of informative videos on YouTube. A big a-ha moment for me was her sharing how women’s teeth are different from men’s. More precisely, it’s the fluctuating pH that happens with a woman’s saliva mainly in response to pregnancy and stress. The pH turns acidic and demineralization kicks in. There are steps you can take to offset this. I could never figure out why I suddenly had cavities during my child bearing years whereas previously I had no trouble. If any pregnant women or future mothers happen to read this post: make sure you don’t harbor pathogenic dental bacteria or have gum infections by using something like Listerine as well as cleaning under the gumline with a water pik on lowest setting using a saturated solution of baking soda and salt 50/50 with some iodine added. I believe it’s DDS Stephens on YouTube who gave this protocol which he verified eliminates dental infections. He samples the salvia and examines it under a microscope.

Also make sure you’re keeping an alkaline mouth by avoiding acidic and sugary snacks, avoiding carbonated water, using xylitol, and raising your internal pH by supplementing baking soda and calcium (but not the citrate form per Dr Reams). I also like horsetail for silica, borax for boron, and vitamin D and K for ensuring proper minerals for dental health and babies development.

Replied by Rob from Kentucky on 04/16/2024

From my notes:

Listerine, an antimicrobial mouth rinse, completely killed microorganisms in 10 to 30 seconds; the microbes includes methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Helicobacter pylori, Candida albicans, Streptococcus mutans, Actinomyces viscosus, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans. And now Sars-2-Covid19. Listerine was also weakly effective in inactivating human immunodeficiency viruses HIV. Bacteria in samples collected from human dental plaque and saliva were completely killed within 30 seconds when exposed to Listerine. When saliva samples were collected from subjects who had rinsed their mouths with 20 ml of Listerine or 1:50 diluted povidone-iodine, levels of viable anaerobic bacteria in the samples were reduced to 1%. When Listerine was used for oral surgery such as tooth extraction and periodontal surgery, the agent was effective in relieving toothache. This was probably due to a decrease in oral bacteria by the antimicrobial action of Listerine, leading to lowering the inflammatory response of the host. The use of antimicrobial mouth rinse during dental treatments such as endodontic treatment proved effective for more reliable infection control. In Japan, there are an increasing number of elderly and medically compromised hosts who are potentially at risk for developing pneumonia due to silent aspiration of microbes in the oral cavity and throat. For the aged with such potential risk, using of antimicrobial mouth rinse may be effective in preventing dental plaque accumulation when used in addition to the mechanical control of plaque, since they tend to have difficulty in brushing teeth by themselves. Indeed, the use of antimicrobial mouth rinse in these elderly people proved useful not only in preventing bacterial pneumonia, but also in improving their quality of life by preserving their oral health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9663026/

Listerine was first invented in the late 19th century, and as early at 1879, manufacturers claimed the disinfectant was effective at both cleaning floors and curing gonorrhea. Now, 137 years later, scientists have published the first ever randomized controlled trial testing Listerine’s gonorrhea claim in the medical journal Sexually Transmitted Infections. The verdict: the bad-breath mouthwash does indeed kill gonorrhea bacteria, both in petri dishes and in people’s throats.

Scientists at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre in Australia, first tested various concentrations of Listerine to see if it was effective at reducing bacterial counts of gonorrhea in a petri dish compared to saline solution. They found that Listerine dilutions of up to one in four (1:4) resulted in significant growth inhibition of gonorrhea when exposed for one minute, while saline solution prompted no change. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gonorrhea-treatment-listerine_n_5857fb4de4b0390447097f64

A number of studies have looked at the effects of Listerine on C. albicans, the microorganism that causes yeast infections. In a study conducted by the Tokyo Dental College department of microbiology, Listerine and Cool Mint Listerine were used to examine the effectiveness in killing C. albicans. A 30-second exposure to Listerine significantly decreased the number of living cells of C. albicans. Cool Mint Listerine had the same effect against reducing microorganism that causes yeast infections. This suggests that Listerine is an effective tool for killing the microorganism C. albicans that cause yeast infections in the mouth by rinsing the mouth for 30 seconds.

In another research study posted on the Medical Science Monitor, the use of Listerine to reduce different types of harmful microorganisms was tested. The number of microorganisms drastically reduced after 5 minute exposure to both Listerine Freshmint and Listerine Cleanmint. This is another study that suggests exposure to Listerine for up to 5 minutes can cause a drastic reduction in C. albicans that cause yeast infections.

In a study conducted by the department of oral medicine in Peking University School of Stomatology, the researchers looked at the use of several mouthwashes in treating C. albicans strains that grow on toenails and lead to toenail fungus. Listerine had significant antifungal activity that reduced the activity of C. albicans that cause yeast infections found on nails.

Overall, Listerine is a beneficial tool for treating yeast infections found in the mouth, skin, and nails. Yeast infections can be reduced by rinsing the mouth out with Listerine, soaking affected areas with Listerine, or placing a rag soaked in Listerine on the affected area.