Listerine owner Johnson & Johnson has been rapped by advertising watchdogs for claiming brushing alone isn’t enough to keep teeth clean.
The Advertising Standards Authority has told the company it must not broadcast in its current form a radio ad that listed some of things people might put in their mouth during the day. A voiceover then stated: “It’s amazing what your mouth goes through, and brushing alone isn’t enough… Listerine Total Care. For total oral health.”
The ASA has upheld a complaint that the claim “brushing alone isn’t enough” was misleading and could not be substantiated, and ruled that consumers would take it to mean that dentists generally accepted that a mouthwash should also be used to maintain oral health.
Johnson & Johnson had argued that the claim could be substantiated and was not misleading. It said a 2009 survey of adult dental health found that, despite 75% of the population brushing their teeth at least twice a day, and a further 23% brushing once a day, there were still high incidences of oral health issues. The company added that another study concluded that the benefits of the mouthwash had sufficient value compared with current practises that they should be added to oral hygiene regimes.
In its ruling the ASA said: “Although we understood that most oral health advice emphasised the importance of cleaning in between teeth in addition to brushing, we had not been provided with evidence that it was generally accepted within the dental community that the use of a mouthwash was necessary to maintain oral health.”
