Chlorine Dioxide Mouthwash

Breath Odor Control with ProFresh® vs."Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide" Mouthwash

The primary source of breath odor is sulfur gas resulting from the putrifaction of sulfur-amino acids in oral epithelial cells, saliva, blood elements and food debris in the mouth by oral bacteria. Hydrogen sulfide and methylmercaptan (H2S and CH3SH, respectively) are the principal odor molecules, and these are detectable in air at the parts per billion level.

These compounds are readily oxidized and destroyed by the oxidant chlorine dioxide (Cl02), which has long been used to disinfect and deodorize municipal water supplies worldwide. Chlorine dioxide mouth rinse is uniquely effective in oxidizing odoriferous, organic compounds such as those responsible for bad breath.

The Truth about "Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide" Mouthwash

There have been many attempts to make a mouthwash that contains chlorine dioxide to combat bad breath. The most conspicuous of these have been mouth rinses that contain a chemical called sodium chlorite which is a salt used in the manufacture of chlorine dioxide. Because it is a chemical precursor of chlorine dioxide, sodium chlorite is also called "stabilized chlorine dioxide" despite the fact that it contains no chlorine dioxide at all.

"Stabilized chlorine dioxide" mouthwash was introduced in the 1970's and claimed the benefits of chlorine dioxide without any substantiating research. Today we still have "stabilized chlorine dioxide" mouth rinses such as Oxyfresh® and Dr. Katz's Therabreath® which are marketed with claims as though they contain chlorine dioxide although they do not.

ProFresh:  The Only Genuine Chlorine Dioxide Mouthwash

In 1992, Dr. Jon L. Richter developed a new formula for a chlorine dioxide mouthwash that maintains a constant concentration of 25-35 mg per liter of chlorine dioxide over a period of six months after activation.  Maintaining constant concentration at these levels necessary to combat breath malodor had previously eluded researchers. To address this, each bottle of ProFresh is activated by the user upon opening. The ProFresh formula is U.S. Patented. By law this formula cannot be duplicated.  The U.S. patent prohibits any other mouth rinse from including chlorine dioxide at levels known to stop bad breath.   Therefore, it is the only genuine chlorine dioxide mouthwash. ProFresh Oral Rinse is also registered with the FDA.

Studies confirm that the effect of "stabilized chlorine dioxide" mouthwash on bad breath odorants is negligible compared to ProFresh Chlorine Dioxide Oral Rinse.