Crest vs Listerine:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Listerine had more branded searches than Crest among oral care brands worldwide. Listerine had about 447,000 branded searches, while Crest had 60,500. Listerine made up 11.9% of all oral care brand searches we track, and Crest accounted for 1.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about oral care brands, Crest appeared in all five answers and Listerine in two. Crest was mentioned before Listerine in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Listerine, about 7 searches for every 1 for Crest
Who does AI mention more?
Crest, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Crest, named ahead of Listerine in 4 of 5 answers
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Top oral care brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Crest appeared in all five answers. Listerine was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Crest was listed before Listerine in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Colgate1st- Crest2nd
Sensodyne3rd
TheraBreath4th- Listerine5th
Oral-B6th
Philips Sonicare7th
Waterpik8th
Corsodyl–
Macleans–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Colgate5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Crest5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sensodyne4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- TheraBreath3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Oral-B2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Listerine2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Philips Sonicare1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Waterpik1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Corsodyl0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Macleans0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about oral care brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which oral care brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best oral care brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best oral care brand for daily mouth care?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“toothpaste brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“mouthwash brands”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Crest or Listerine more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Crest and Listerine by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten oral care brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Listerine, Crest. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Sensodyne | Colgate | Oral-B | Listerine | Philips Sonicare | Waterpik | TheraBreath | Corsodyl | Crest | Macleans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 20.1% | 18.6% | 21.2% | 12.3% | 6.9% | 10.4% | 4.5% | 3% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 18.9% | 15.1% | 27.2% | 10% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 20.3% | 15.6% | 24.4% | 10.2% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 4.5% | 2.8% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 24.5% | 17.3% | 20% | 12.1% | 6.6% | 8% | 5.6% | 2.9% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 22.9% | 18.1% | 18.4% | 13.4% | 6% | 9% | 5.9% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 21.8% | 21.4% | 17.1% | 12.6% | 6.9% | 8.4% | 5.4% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.3% | 20.3% | 17.5% | 12.7% | 5.7% | 8.6% | 6% | 3% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 22.5% | 19.9% | 18.3% | 13.1% | 6% | 9% | 5.1% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 0.99% |
| Jun 2026 | 23.4% | 19.9% | 18.8% | 11.7% | 6.1% | 9.2% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.1% | 19.6% | 17.6% | 12.8% | 5.8% | 8.6% | 5.6% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 0.95% |
| Aug 2026 | 23.1% | 20.7% | 18.1% | 12.5% | 6.7% | 8.1% | 5.7% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 0.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 23.7% | 19.6% | 17.8% | 11.9% | 8% | 8% | 5.6% | 2.8% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
How has the Crest and Listerine comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Listerine was ahead of Crest in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Crest’s share of searches among oral care brands worldwide moved from 1.7% to 1.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 60.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Listerine’s share of searches among oral care brands worldwide moved from 12.3% to 11.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 438K to 447K.
How did search popularity change for oral care brands worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Listerine lost share of searches among oral care brands worldwide, from 12.5% to 11.9%.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Crest’s and Listerine’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among oral care brands
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