CariFree Maintenance Rinse, Mint Flavored, Anti-Cavity Fluoride Mouthwash, Dentist Recommended, Prevents Oral Decay, Freshens Breath, Alcohol-Free, Neutralizes pH (Previously CTx3)

CariFree offers a carefully thought out line of products geared more earnestly towards improving your oral health than any other company I have encountered. I have rather bad teeth and so am extremely careful with them, and put a lot of effort into finding the best products; therefore I settled on CariFree.There are a number of reasons why this is absolutely superior to ordinary mouthwashes such as those from Crest or Listerine.1) This is alkaline. People often think that your teeth get back because of sugar; this is not the case. The sugar feed bacteria which then metabolize it to produce acid. It is therefore quite obviously desirable to neutralize this acid, which spikes after eating any food but particularly after eating/drinking sugary or acidic drinks (sugar free sweets are often full of acids to give a "sour" flavor). Most mouthwashes are actually acidic, as you can find upon a quick google search; according to Frey Smiles' blog, Listerine is around pH 4 and Crest Pro-Health around 4.7. Neutral is pH 7. CariFree is pH 8.2) This has no alcohol. Alcohol is generally not good for you; it's been linked with oral cancer, and definitely can cause dry mouth. Also, it just feels nasty in your mouth.3) This is antibacterial without staining. Xylitol is a generally effective antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal agent. Some studies do say you should not eat xylitol, but this is a rinse, not a gum. The other main antimicrobials are alcohol and cetylpyridinium chloride. Alcohol is bad for the reasons we've mentioned; CPC, on the other hand, can cause awful tooth staining (and it did this for me).4) This has fluoride. Many rinses do not- you have to look carefully on the package. Tooth enamel is a mineral that consists of calcium, phosphate, and hydroxide ions. In solution, as in your saliva, these ions are constantly popping off and on, but at a very low rate (acidity increases this rate, however). Fluoride ions are more electronegative than hydroxide ions, and so they pop back in instead of hydroxide and hold the structure together more tightly (decreasing the rate at which they pop off).In terms of usage, I also enjoy its flavor, and the fact that it isn't full of useless or possibly harmful dyes, scents, or other additives like most other mouthwashes. It's pretty straightforward: a bunch of really important ingredients that work together well. I also might add that although this product is very expensive, it was developed off real science; the likes of Listerine are products that have been sold in forms very similar to their current form for years. CariFree has a hard time competing with these big companies, but they do offer better products.Finally, I'd recommend looking into their remineralizing toothpaste. As I mentioned, your enamel has three ions that exist in a solubility equilibrium in your saliva: calcium, phosphate, and hydroxide (replaced by fluoride). It makes sense, therefore, that just adding one of these ions is not enough if you want to actually strengthen your teeth. CariFree's toothpaste contains bioavailable sources of calcium and phosphate ions, allowing your tooth enamel to actually rebuild, rather than just dissolve at a lower rate.I hope this helps you all.

As someone who is in their late 20's and is allergic to mint, I have been stuck using kid's toothpaste and mouthwash my entire life. People make fun of me, and I really wanted an adult toothpaste and mouthwash that will keep my teeth whiter and my breath fresher. I've used cinnamon toothpaste in the past, but I absolutely hated it. It burned my mouth and made me sick (I found out it still had menthol in it). I ordered this product hoping for a saving grace, and it is! It has no menthol on it, but still has flouride and xylitol for teeth/gum health. Plus I am obsessed with the taste! It tastes like an orange creamcicle, and it doesn't burn my mouth! I will be a forever customer of carifree now. I plan on getting their toothpaste as soon as I run out of the kid's bubblegum one I'm using now.

This rinse is amazing. My husband's dentist recommended it and we have been using it for years. We use it twice a day and have had no cavities. I'm not saying it stops cavities, I'm merely stating that we have not had any. This is the only rinse we use, along with our waterpiks. It is refreshing without being overwhelming. A great product at great value.

I've used Carifree oral rinse for many years. It contains more fluoride (0.05%) than some other products that I also use, such as Act mouthwash (0.02%) or Arm & Hammer toothpaste (0.024%).In addition to the fluoride, Carifree claims to balance your mouth's pH level, which is also supposed to help prevent cavities.The Grape flavor is also nice.But I have noticed a decline in quality over the past couple of years. Whenever I order a package of three or four Carifree bottles, they include 3 or 4 small plastic cups. (See my photos.) Which is good, because Carifree tends to leave a residue in the cups over time. So for every new bottle, I use a new cup.But in the past, each cup came inside its own sealed plastic baggie, which was nicely sanitary. But now they come stacked and exposed to the elements. Less sanitary. I suppose you can wash them, but still.Also, sometimes a cup arrives cracked. That never happened when they were individually wrapped.If Carifree wants to save on manufacturing costs, I suggest they do away with the big decorative gray top. Those are unnecessary. I always yank off and toss the top. The small twist-on cap underneath the decorative top is sufficient to open and close the bottle. (See my photos).So, lose the top and return the individually wrapped cups.

I really like this mouthwash! This was actually a recommendation from my dentist for teeth sensitivity to cold. It improved my overall sensibility and she explained that it helps to prevent cavities. It has a very mild taste and it does not give that burning sensation of using a mouthwash with alcohol.