Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Listerine Advanced Defence Gum Treatment for Gingivitis 500mlThis product was a mystery to me. What is it? Why can't I find it anywhere else? Why isn't it on the Listerine site? First. I have used this product for six months. I find it to be safe and effective , following the directions exactly, as a gingivitis treatment and daily gum protection, in conjunction with tooth brushing with a fluoride toothpaste. Whew! Glad I got that out. It tingles, has a mint taste, and an odd aftertaste I cannot characterize, but it is not unpleasant. It does not burn. I did see a difference in my gums. Now for all the other stuff. All the caveats. "Clinically proven to treat Gingivitis" per label. Follow the directions exactly. Why? Because this is serious stuff. READ THE WHOLE BACK OF THE BOTTLE. *KEEP OUT OF SIGHT AND REACH OF CHILDREN. *Use twice daily after brushing or when directed by your dental healthcare professional. *Do not use this product if you are sensitive or allergic to Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate HCI or any of the ingredients. *If you experience discomfort or irritation, stop using the product. *Do not dilute, swallow or swig from the bottle. *Do not use after the expiration date. *Only use as directed. *If you are suffering from a gum condition, and are not sure whether it is gingivitis, THEN DO NOT USE THIS PRODUCT (caps mine) and seek medical advice. Skip the rest unless you are really interested. Seriously. This at one time was labeled as a medical device. Not now. The only document I found from the FDA from 1998 did not include it in its compendium of ingredients deemed safe and effective. It was from 1998, but I have found nothing more recent FDA document. The EU SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER SAFETY "considered" Ethyl lauroyl arginate HCl safe for use as a preservative up to a maximum concentration of 0.15% in mouthwashes. This product concentration is below that @ 0.147%. Initially the only research I could find was from 2015. Exploratory. A randomized trial of ethyl lauroyl arginate-containing mouthrinse in the control of gingivitis. Found that a concentration up to 0.15% of this twice daily as a adjunct to tooth brushing for four weeks resulted in significantly lower levels of plaque and gingivitis, well-tolerated with NO SHIFTS IN ORAL MICROFLORA - something the FDA gets nervous about. There is later research, dealing with its use for gingivitis and periodontitis, but none in the USA, only Europe. LAE as a powder was patented by the Spanish company Grupo Lamirsa. It is used as a preservative in other concentrations. As a preservative, it acts to break down the membranes in a wide range of micro-organisms. Once the membranes have been broken, the cells die. Its strength is modified here, but still potent. A 2016 article states LAE is approved by the EFSA and the FDA as an antimicrobial and food preservative. A cation which needs direct contact for best effect in food. It's use in mouthwash makes sense. Direct contact, lower concentration, kill "germs" related to bleeding gums, gingivitis. So what is the issue in this not being sold by vendors in the USA? My guess? Standards are different in the EU. Treatments are different, not better or worse, just different. Politics. The FDA. Labeling. Marketing. Inertia. This is a product that Listerine in the USA will not discuss. Nor will they provide any information on it. Not a surprise. Listerine is Global and said so. 'We do not comment on other regions... marketing decisions (as to why it is not offered in the U.S.) to not overlap with existing products offered." They do what they do, we do what we do. 'The consumer center provides information on PRODUCTS LICENSED AND MARKETED in the U.S. Testing information is proprietary and not available to the consumer center." I never tried to find testing information on other products. Never wanted to. This one was different. Advanced is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, Listerine's parent company, in UK & Germany. It was manufactured for a bit in France, no longer. Why do I mention this? Listerine distributes only to third parties, as the vendors who thankfully sell this through Amazon. Amazon, being global, does sell this on their UK site the last time I looked through Amazon pantry, in the UK. So that is everything I found out. It worked for me. Bonus for getting to the end of this. Great price now. Buy it. Kemfit sends it by Royal Mail.