Listerine has a new product on the store shelf called Tooth Defense™. This new rinse uses the active ingredient of Sodium Fluoride and claims to rebuild and strengthen your tooth enamel and thereby prevent cavities.

Benefits of the Tooth Defense™ rinse.

* Kills the germs that cause bad breath or halitosis
* Increase tooth enamel density and strenth to prevent cavities using Sodium Fluoride
* Great tasting Mint Shield flavor (purple color but minty taste)
* Intended for patients 12 and older :

• Older patients who require extra help fighting cavities and maintaining their natural teeth
• Patients with crowns or bridges
• Orthodontic patients where tooth care is harder

Note: This product is not intended to help prevent or reduce plaque and gingivitis. Brushing and proper dental care is still expected.

Listerine® Tooth Defense™: Active Ingredients
Sodium fluoride 0.0221% (0.01% w/v fluoride ion)

As of writing this post, there wasn’t much for consumer reviews about this product. The couple that I did find liked the taste of the wash. Sodium Fluoride has been known to rebuild enamel for a long time and some toothpastes contain it. The question will be if this wash has enough of a concentration to have any clinical impact on your own teeth’s enamel or is it just an expensive mouthwash?