Dynamints

It’s Friday night and you have a date planned with that special someone. After heading out for pizza or a Fribble, you head to the local drive-in or roller rink. But if that romantic mood strikes, the last thing you need is pizza breath. Not to worry,as long as you had a plastic box in your pocket filled with Dynamints. These flavorful candies were always ready to lend a helping hand.

Introduced in the early 70s, Dynamints were a product of the Dentyne Gum Company, designed to compete with the popular Tic-Tac candies manufactured by the Ferrero candy company.

Dentyne gum, which has resided on store shelves since the turn of the century, already had an established reputation as a remedy for bad breath, so it seemed a logical leap to get into the breath mint business. And for a few years at least, Dynamints would give Tic-Tacs a run for their money.

Dynamints were oval-shaped and little bit larger than their competitors. And while Tic-Tacs generally stuck with mint flavors (other than those sublimely delicious orange mints), Dynamints offered a wider variety of flavor choices.

Oh sure, they offered the traditional peppermint, spearmint and cinnamon flavors, but they also delved into less minty territory with lemon-lime and fruit-flavored versions.

Fruit Dynamints came in an assortment of orange, grape and cherry, and each flavor had a distinct hint of spiciness. The cherry flavor in particular had a noticeable kick.

Despite being the underdog, Dynamints held their own against Tic-Tacs for much of the decade, but quietly faded from the candy aisle when the 1970s came to a close.

Today, they only exist in our collective memories, when a rattling package of small candy in your pocket meant that you would never have to subject that hot date to your garlic-scented pizza breath.

Do you remember eating Dynamints candy as a kid? If so, which flavors were your favorites? I’d love to hear all of your Dynamints memories in our comments section below, as we pay tribute to the little mint that could, and did, back in those magical 70s.