The Food and Drug Administration isn’t swallowing the health claims made by three mouthwash marketers.
The agency has sent the companies warning letters saying that available scientific evidence doesn’t support their claims that the products — used by millions of Americans to rinse their mouths every day — remove plaque and promote healthy gums. The warnings went to Johnson & Johnson for its Listerine Total Care Anticavity Mouthwash, CVS Corp. for its CVS Complete Care Anticavity Mouthwash, and Walgreen Co. for its Walgreen Mouth Rinse Full Action.
The active ingredient in all three products is sodium fluoride, which the FDA says has proven to be effective in preventing cavities, but not in removing plaque or preventing gum disease.
The act of rinsing disrupts plaque, but that happens with mouthwash or plain water, Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, a pediatric dentist and assistant professor of health policy at Boston University’s School of Dental Medicine, told the Los Angeles Times.
In a news release, an FDA official said the agency needs to act “when companies make false or unproven product claims to ensure that consumers are not misinformed or misled.”
The warning letters were the latest in a stream of warnings issued to food and drug producers by the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission since President Obama took office dealing with unsubstantiated health benefits on labels and in advertising. “We’ve got a much more aggressive FDA and FTC, there’s no question about it,” John Villafranco, a Washington attorney who specializes in advertising and consumer protection issues, told the Los Angeles Times.
