Smartmouth™ Mouthwash: Superior Efficacy—12 Times More Effective

SmartMouth™ Mouthwash (Figure 1) is a unique invention that prevents halitosis for 12 hours, including the prevention of “morning breath.” No other mouthwash prevents halitosis longer than 1 hour, which means SmartMouth prevents bad breath 12 times longer than any other mouthwash.¹

The Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division (NAD), whose “purpose is to foster truth and accuracy in national advertising,” examined the legitimacy of these claims. After a lengthy in-depth investigation that included an American Dental Association search of all relevant, published research, the NAD determined that SmartMouth’s claims were valid and substantiated.²

GET SMART

SmartMouth’s revolutionary Zinc Ion Technology was invented by Israel Kleinberg, DDS, PhD, DSc, chairman of oral biology and pathology at The State University of New York, Stony Brook. The SmartMouth technology is based on the massive production of free zinc ions. These free zinc ions are capable of blocking the production of sulfur gases, thereby preventing halitosis for at least 12 hours at a time.

Chemically, the mechanism of action of SmartMouth’s zinc ions is elegant in its simplicity. The noxious sulfur gases that cause halitosis are products of Gram-negative, anaerobic organisms consuming and metabolizing amino acids. The amino acids enter the anaerobic bacteria through amino acid receptor sites located in the protective cell membranes. SmartMouth works by blocking those receptor sites, thereby preventing the entrance of any amino acids. Remarkably, once those sites are blocked, they remain blocked for the natural lifespan of the organism—in the case of these anaerobes, approximately 12 hours.

SUCCEEDING WHERE OTHERS FAIL

Current mouthrinses fall into three basic categories:

• Germ killers = First Generation (Figure 2)
• Odor eliminators = Second Generation (Figure 3)
• Odor eliminators and blockers = Third Generation (Figure 4)

In terms of the first-generation mouthrinses, it has been extensively demonstrated that oral biofilm provides more than 1,500 times the protection against any biocidal substance than that provided by saliva.³ The replacement process for these organisms usually takes less than 1 hour.

If antimicrobial mouthwashes were effective for long periods of time, then claims of long-term effectiveness would lead us to believe that 99.9% of Gram-negative, anaerobic organisms were killed, and halitosis would no longer be a problem. From the microbiology described above, we can ascertain that this is not true—nor is it even something that would be desirable. Of the 800 or more species of organisms living in the human mouth, the vast majority are either symbiotic or commensal, existing for mutual benefit with the host or for their own benefit without damage to the host. Most microbiologists will not even speculate about the effect on general health and an individual’s survival if all the benign, symbiotic, and commensal oral microorganisms were destroyed. The general consensus is that the host organism would probably die as a result of an unblocked invasion of opportunistic pathogens. The concept of killing—in the mouth—is antiquated, and we are fortunate that germ-killing mouthrinses are unable to destroy the majority of beneficial microorganisms.

Likewise, regarding the second-generation products, merely eliminating existing sulfur gases is ineffective because the gases are quickly replaced by the organisms residing in the oral biofilm. An effective solution to the bad breath quandary is found in the third-generation approach: the long-term blockage of sulfur gas production using the patented Zinc Ion Technology in SmartMouth Mouthwash. These zinc ions are able to penetrate into the deeper layers of biofilm, blocking the Gram-negative anaerobes’ ability to produce sulfur gases.

AN ORAL-SYSTEMIC LINK?

SmartMouth Mouthwash solves an oral problem that, although universal, is not widely addressed in dental school curricula or by dentists in their practices. Most dentists believe that:

• the majority of halitosis comes from the stomach.
• you can smell your own bad breath.
• halitosis is caused by poor oral hygiene.
• you can kill enough germs to eliminate halitosis.
• all mouthwashes are the same.
• food odors are part of the halitosis syndrome.

As the author of the halitosis section of the Encyclopedia Britannica (1998 Medical Edition), this author can tell you that none of these beliefs is true. In this respect, dentists, physicians, and the lay public are equally uninformed.

Importantly, halitosis-causing gases may be deeply involved in the recently publicized oral/systemic connection.⁴ Gingivitis is the tissue reaction to an attack by microorganisms and the invasion of their toxins. It is generally accepted that Gram-negative anaerobes are the primary culprits. These organisms live in plaque gen-erally located on teeth and subgingivally, but if the mere presence of plaque subgingivally is the only requirement for the creation of gingivitis, then why isn’t it always rampant? In 1984, Ng and Tonzetich demonstrated that the presence subgingivally of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan (the two most common halitosis gases) could completely disrupt the gingival, epithelial integrity.⁵ It is believed by many that this disruption by halitosis gases is the primary key that opens the epithelial barrier to subsequent infection.

SmartMouth Mouthwash, using its patented Zinc Ion Technology, prevents the production of those gases responsible for this disruption of epithelial integrity. If dentists, physicians, and laypersons realized this critical relationship, there would be greatly increased attention to halitosis and SmartMouth’s Zinc Ion Technology.

For more information:
Triumph Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Phone: 800-492-7040
Web: www.smartmouth.com
Email: mcohendds@smartmouth.com

This article was written by Marvin Cohen, DDS.

References

1. Codpilly D, Kaufman H, Kleinberg I. Use of a novel group of oral malodor measurements to evaluate an anti-oral malodor mouthrinse (TriOral TM) in humans. J Clin Dent. 2004; XV:98-104.

2. Bean L. NAD Reviews Advertising From Triumph Pharmaceuticals. NAD/NARB Procedures For The Voluntary Self-Regulation of National Advertising. 2008.

3. Saur K, Richard A, Davies D. Biofilms and biocomplexity. Microbe. 2007;2(7):347-353.

4. US Department of Health and Human Services. Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General—Executive Summary. Rockville, MD: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health. 2000.

5. Ng W, Tonzetich J. Effects of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan on the permeability of oral mucosa. J Dent Res. 1984;63(7):994-997.

Disclaimer

The preceding material was provided by the manufacturer. The statements and opinions contained therein are solely those of the manufacturer and not of the editors, publisher, or the Editorial Board of Inside Dentistry. The preceding is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval for the aforementioned products or services or their effectiveness, quality, or safety on the part of Inside Dentistry or AEGIS Communications. The publisher disclaims responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas or products referred to in the preceding material.