Crest Pro-Health Rinse got me so confused that I couldn’t tell the difference between day and night. But I could tell Procter & Gamble, manufacturers of Crest products…

Dear Mouth Rinserologists,

What’s the story with Crest Pro-Health Night Antigingivitis/Antiplaque Oral Rinse? You claim it “Fights Plaque at Night.” Then there’s a Crest Pro-Health Oral Rinse that isn’t labeled “Night,” but also offers prevention and reduction of gingivitis and plaque. What the difference? Is the day rinse a solar-powered formula that loses its strength once the sun goes down?

Why do people need different night time protection from plaque when they’re sleeping? Do you have research that proves teeth can be attacked by plaque even if you dream about food?

Can you send me a microscope slide with a plaque specimen on it so I’ll know what’s living on my teeth … or so I can recognize plaque should some fall out of my mouth onto the sink counter? If you don’t have slides, can you mount a little plaque on a small plaque suitable for hanging in my bathroom to remind me to rinse with Crest Pro-Health?

Recrestfully yours,
“Me”

Procter & Gamble Consumer Relations responded with:

Thanks for writing. I’m sorry for any confusion. All versions of Crest Pro-Health Rinse provide the same protection against plaque, gingivitis, and bad breath. No matter which version of Crest Pro-Health Rinse you buy, we recommend using twice a day after your normal brushing and flossing routine. (Rinse toothpaste from mouth prior to use).

Crest Pro-Health Night is specially formulated for a unique nighttime rinsing experience. It contains additional inactive ingredients for a cleaner mouth in the morning. I wish I could help further, but I don’t have any slides of plaque I could send. Thanks again for writing.

Final Thoughts: Thanks to P&G for straightening that out. I’m still not sure how much cleaner someone’s mouth would be in the morning using the night rinse versus the regular rinse, especially if the only difference is additional inactive ingredients. That seems like a job for active ingredients — very active ingredients! Then again, perhaps it’s also worth having around for guests because who hasn’t woken up next to someone whose mouth smelled like a stadium restroom after a sporting event?

Too bad Crest didn’t have any plaque specimen slides lying around. The only other thing I’ve wanted more from a company was the head of a Crash Test Dummy, but Chevrolet couldn’t send me one of those either. Whether you need to kill some plaque or fight off gingivitis and bad breath during the night, day or both, check out Crest Pro-Health Rinse. However, if anything about a product turns your day upside down, one way to straighten things out is to Write The Company.