A flavored oral care composition and method of making same for preventing and/or treating bacterial, fungal or inflammatory diseases and conditions of the oral cavity may be in the form of a rinse, spray, or the like, and free of glycerin and free of castor oil and castor oil derivatives, incorporates a chlorine dioxide source, a phosphate buffer, a flavoring system containing a polyoxyethylene sorbitan ester (emulsifier/suspender) and flavoring agent, a sweetener and water. With the addition of a fluoride ion source, the composition may be used as an anticaries agent.