SMINT Breath Mints

These are very small, very potent breath mints, touted as "The First Dental Candy." They are made by Spain's ChupaChups, known for their creative and very tasty lollipops. SMINTs come in three mint flavors; Instant Freshness, X-tra Fresh Peppermint, and Intense Spearmint. Each of these flavors are made with Xylitol, "a sugar-free substitute that is proven to fight plaque and help prevent the formation of bacteria responsible for tooth decay." SMINTs are also available in Pure Licorice as well as three flavors that have been fortified with vitamin C: Lemon Power, Intense Peach, and Wild Berry.

There are two important elements to the SMINT. First, the strength of the flavor is not to be underestimated. This is not the mellow, predictable Cert or a Tic-Tac, if that's what you're after. The flavor is very strong and may be a deterrent to those with sensitive tastes. They are, however, very effective breath fresheners.

The other important thing to consider about SMINTs is the plastic dispenser. Mildly reminiscent of a Pez dispenser, SMINTs come in small, sturdy plastic boxes with a push button on the top. The button engages a spring-loaded mechanism that dispenses the SMINTS one at a time from a small chute at the bottom of the box. The difficult thing about this is that the dispensing action is fun, but the mints themselves are so strong that you don't want to get carried away.

• purchase price - $1.50 for 40 mints
• availability - most grocery stores or online at smint.com
• rating breakdown - mints: 71, dispenser: 99

Unique Reviews overall rating: 85 out of 100

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