I’ve been faithfully doing my experiment of swishing ACT for 1 minute only. I agree with you — I think this is better than swishing it for a longer time.

I think my teeth look whiter with a 1-minute swish, but I am sure that my mouth feels cleaner. With a 1-minute ACT swish, the tingly clean sensation that Listerine gives is still around. If I swish ACT for longer, that tingly feeling disappears. I can only guess that this effect is because ACT works better in an acidic environment, and that acidity disappears when ACT stays in for longer, so when you leave it to work its magic, its magic isn’t as potent. In a curious way, it might be diluting its own beneficial effects.

And it is MUCH more practical to swish each rinse for 1 minute. It’s actually a very quick routine now I’ve got it down.

An update on the brown ridges around the gum line at the bottom of the teeth — after our phone call last week, I started brushing much more gently and going in very small circles. I had become too enthusiastic over the past month, using bigger circles with more vigor and that had been counterproductive. Just 1 week of brushing better has visibly reduced the brown ridges. I hope this trend will continue. I’ll keep you posted on more progress!

It seems that xylitol, good brushing, and the rinsing routine all count for 1/3 each of what it takes to get best results.

I hope you are well and enjoy your time in the UK!