Dental Health Listerine Smart Rinse Review Encourage Healthy Habits With This Kid-Friendly Rinse By Shawn Watson Shawn Watson is an orthodontic dental assistant and writer with over 10 years of experience working in the field of dentistry. Learn about our editorial process Shawn Watson Fact checked by Fact checked by Lisa Sullivan, MS on May 01, 2020 Lisa Sullivan, MS, is a nutritionist and a corporate health and wellness educator with nearly 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. Learn about our editorial process Lisa Sullivan, MS on May 01, 2020 Print Do you or your child brush thoroughly enough? Listerine Smart Rinse shows whether any plaque is left behind. Using Listerine Smart Rinse as a part of your child's daily oral care routine will help develop the routine and structure necessary to instill the importance of proper brushing and flossing habits. Smart Rinse also has fluoride, which helps protect your child's teeth from tooth decay. szeyuen / Getty Images Description Post-brush mouth rinse for kids to protect teeth from cavities and clean the mouth beyond brushing aloneTints the particles brushing may leave behindContains fluoride to provide extra cavity protectionKills germs that cause bad breathNot intended to help prevent or reduce plaque and gingivitisAvailable in several different flavors and character themes Pros Encourages brushingShows your child the plaque and food particles left behind after brushing so she learns how to brush more thoroughlyPre-measured cap for easy dispensingAlcohol free Cons May stain clothing and/or other fabricMust avoid eating and drinking for 30 minutes after use Review Listerine Smart Rinse is a post-brush mouth rinse that shows the particles of food and plaque that were left behind after brushing. Because this product is especially aimed at showing children how best to brush, a five-year-old girl was enlisted to try the Listerine Smart Rinse. The bottle of Smart Rinse is very user-friendly. The child was able to open and measure out the recommended 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) of the rinse. She carefully began to swish the rinse around her mouth. While she normally doesn't like strong minty flavors, she was able to continuously rinse for the required one minute. Instead of letting the rinse go down the drain, the drain was closed to allow inspecting the rinse for the leftover particles. When she spit out the mint green rinse, bits of dark green (plaque and food particles) were scattered throughout. It's gross, but it helps reinforce the importance of healthy brushing habits and shows that brushing is completely ineffective if done improperly. Following her initial use of Listerine Smart Rinse, she was enthusiastic in toothbrushing. She was very eager to use her own mouth rinse and demonstrated a level of independence new to her. A downside to Smart Rinse is that you can't eat or drink for at least 30 minutes after use. The girl doing the test likes to have a big drink of water after brushing her teeth. The first few uses were a struggle to avoid water, but with time she became accustomed to waiting to drink her water. A Word From Verywell If you struggle to get your kids to brush their teeth and you wonder whether they are doing a thorough job, a product such as Listerine Smart Rinse can be a good way to make the task more interesting. When your child gets immediate, visible feedback on how well he is brushing, he is more likely to do better at it. You may also benefit from using such a product to see if you've been brushing right. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit