Monday, June 29, 2009

Trident Xtra Care Spearmint

Flavor: Up until now, I’ve felt conflicted in my critiques of the various versions of this classic flavor. Each seemed unfairly delicious, more delicious than the last and yet unique in its own special way. When I chewed my first piece of Trident Xtra Care, I was relieved to discover that it fell so short of its Spearmint competitors that I would have no problem reviewing it. The flavor lacks that special sweet edge typical of other Spearmints, and really just embodies the cold, harsh “other” taste that’s usually softened by the sweetness. And to boot, whatever flavor it does have fades in a matter of seconds.

Texture: Rubbery. Too firm, through and through. It’s as if you’ve already been chewing it for twenty minutes the first time you put it in your mouth. Stale. Fail.

Overall: Once again, as with my review of Trident Xtra Care Cool Mint, I feel as if the only thing this gum has going for it is its “Xtra Care.” When I went to the Web site to read more, as the package indicated, I found that the Spearmint variety wasn’t even listed. When I clicked on the Cool Mint, it provided information about “Recaldent, a unique form of calcium,” that has various positive effects on teeth. I’m no doctor, so I can’t argue with all that scientific jargon. I rate gum, not dental hygiene products. Besides, it can be safely said that all sugar-free gum, particularly Trident, cares a little “extra” for your teeth. I chew gum to strengthen my teeth in the same way that I drink wine for its antioxidants—it’s a nice bonus, but hardly reason for addiction. Super-uber-special-healthy or not, this gum just falls short.
Rating: oo (two gumballs)

6 comments:

Jordan said...

Lame review

Anonymous said...

I bought it for the "Recaldent". Gum sucks and I don't chew it normally, but if this helps my teeth, I'll try it. I'm glad it doesn't taste too sweet or too minty.

Joy said...

I got two different flavors of Xtra Care (in a multi-pack). Taste etc was fine (but didn't last very long). But it got really gross. I had one pack in my backpack, and one at my desk. The strips started leaking out the oily flavor into their wrappers, and then into the package. It was really gross and a total waste of money. The one in my backpack seeped worse - which wouldn't surprise me because the pack is taken in an out of heat, cold, dry a/c, humidity, etc. But the one at my desk? That was really annoying. Will not buy again! Have you had such experiences with gum?

Anonymous said...

In Dec09 I started chewing this gum 4 times/day because of the 'Recaldent'.

The results thus far are an 80% decrease in staining and sensitivity, and a 70% increase in whiteness.

I believe theses results are due to the 'Recaldent' alone, but I'm still testing.

Unknown said...

Here is what I've found. I used to always get a lot of cavities, plus I'm a tooth grinder. Seven months ago, my dentist found a cavity in one of my molars that wasn't huge but would need to be filled. I couldn't get an appointment soon enough with her, so I thought I'd go to my old dentist instead, but instead I forgot. Then I kept putting it off when finances got tight. I would feel sharp little pains in the tooth more over time. I started chewing this gum about 3 months ago. I have at least 3 pieces a day on average. I also got better about flossing every night. The sharp little pain didn't get worse, instead it became less noticeable. When I finally saw my dentist about it, she took xrays and showed me that they were just baby cavities, barely entering the enamel. She said my enamel looked quite healthy otherwise and if I kept flossing regularly they'd probably recalcify. I don't think that just flossing these areas alone would recalcify the area so quickly.

Anonymous said...

Wow I completely disagree with this review. One of the best Spearmints out there, and the flavor lasts forever. I think the reviewer has simply become too accustomed to added sugars and super-sweet everything. This gum has a strong and lasting mint taste with pretty decent sweetness. It also reduced tooth sensitivity. I honestly buy this gum by the 12-pack.