PSA: Is your mouthwash and/or toothpaste staining your teeth?

[Midpack]

I have my teeth cleaned very 6 months, and I floss/proxabrush/power brush/rinse at least twice a day. It was frustrating to have my dentist report "moderate staining" every time. She told me 'smoking, coffee and red wine' are often to blame for staining - I don't smoke, I only have red wine occasionally and I brush/floss/rinse after coffee every morning.

I thought Crest was the gold standard for dental hygiene products and I've used Crest all my life. So much so that I never read their labels, never questioned, thought I was buying the best! Most recently Crest Pro-Health toothpaste and mouthwash.

Come to find out there are lots of articles online that Crest Pro-Health mouthwash can cause staining! The articles say the active ingredient, cetylpyridnium chloride can cause staining. The Crest label didn't used to, but it now says "antimicrobial rinses may cause surface staining to teeth. This is not permanent or harmful and may be...removed at your next dental visit."

WHY ON EARTH WOULD I USE A MOUTHWASH THAT CAUSES STAINS A DENTIST HAS TO REMOVE?

There are fewer articles, but there are also reports that "stannous flouride" in toothpaste, like Crest Pro-Health, can also cause staining. WTH?

I went on a mission only to find stannous flouride in most toothpastes and CPC in most mouthwashes. The only replacements I found that didn't were Sensodyne toothpaste and Listerine Alcohol Free mouthwash, so I switched after my last dental cleaning.

My dentist reported "no staining" when at my appt yesterday - not light staining, but NO staining. Nothing has changed in my diet, health or care routine - only my toothpaste and mouthwash.

I don't have any credentials, and this may not apply to everyone, so FWIW.

Crest Pro-Health toothpaste contains stannous fluoride, says Clemenza. "If you're using that every day, you're going to have what looks like coffee stains,'' she says. "In the past, we used to give stannous fluoride to patients who had a high rate of decay. But I don't believe you need to have your teeth stained. There are other products that do just as good a job."

The active ingredient in Crest Pro-Health mouthwash is cetylpyridinium chloride. "If you read the fine print on the back of the bottle, it will tell you it stains your teeth,'' says Clemenza.

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/health/2015/03/10/mouthwash-toothpaste-stain-teeth/24666371/

 

[H2ODude]

Interesting. We've had a dentist we've really liked for over 20 years, I get cleanings twice a year but DW needs it three times for plaque buildup. Neither of us has ever heard of staining from him. My teeth look OK for an old guy, she's had whitening done, but just a cosmetic thing. I don't think it was ever attributed to "staining," just getting older.

 

[gamboolman]

Thank you MP !

 

[razztazz]

Is that the kind 4 out of 5 dentists recommend?

 

[Accidental Retiree]

I have my teeth cleaned very 6 months, and I floss/proxabrush/power brush/rinse at least twice a day. It was frustrating to have my dentist report "moderate staining" every time. She told me 'smoking, coffee and red wine' are often to blame for staining - I don't smoke, I only have red wine occasionally and I brush/floss/rinse after coffee every morning.

I went on a mission only to find stannous flouride in most toothpastes and CPC in most mouthwashes. The only replacements I found that didn't were Sensodyne toothpaste and Listerine Alcohol Free mouthwash, so I switched after my last dental cleaning.

My dentist reported "no staining" when at my appt yesterday - not light staining, but NO staining. Nothing has changed in my diet, health or care routine - only my toothpaste and mouthwash.

I don't have any credentials, and this may not apply to everyone, so FWIW.

https://www.lohud.com/story/news/health/2015/03/10/mouthwash-toothpaste-stain-teeth/24666371/

I had the same problem with staining over the years. A new hygienist recommended Listerine Zero and Sensodyne Pronamel with Gentle Whitening.

I made the switch.

On follow-up visits to my old hygienist, she’s remarked twice on the lack of staining.

 

[mn54]

there is a rx mouthwash called peridex that contains chlorhexidine. It helps to prevent periodontal disease but the one side-effect is some light staining that is easily removed when doing a cleaning.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Interesting. I just switched to a stannous fluoride toothpaste a few months ago, based on claims of benefits over sodium fluoride. I haven't noticed any staining, so far. We'll see what the dentist says. The mouthwash contains cetylpyridinium chloride, which does cause staining. The good news is any staining is surface (not fluorosis), and can be removed by a dentist. Crest Pro Health issues a warning on the tube that stannous fluoride may cause staining, which can be avoided by "proper brushing", and that its particular formulation is "resistant to staining".

Side note- I searched for that quote from Dr. Clemenza, but noticed that she has passed away, and her quote was gone from her website. Hmmm, maybe Crest didn't like her comments lol.

 

[Sunset]

Colgate does not use stannous fluoride.

It does however use some anti-bacterial chemical, which though many studies have shown has been able to reduce gingivitis and incredibly even cavities by 4% with longterm use.

We started buying clear mouthwash, as we were using a blue mouthwash, and it was staining our tongues immediately after use. How stupid is that ?

 

[Lsbcal]

We are talking about a very subjective subject. Just how white are your teeth? Is it really all that important?

I do use 2 toothpastes that have sodium flouride: Crest in AM and Colgate in PM. Diversification like in my portfolio. I do not use mouthwash. I also use a powered toothbrush and brush for over 2 minutes (it has a timer).

People with really white teeth like a few old politicians I have seen, they look unnatural to me. If they only knew.

P.S. I find that use of mouthwash clogs my sink drain after some months. So another benefit ignoring it.

 

[Midpack]

Interesting. I just switched to a stannous fluoride toothpaste a few months ago, based on claims of benefits over sodium fluoride. I haven't noticed any staining, so far. We'll see what the dentist says. The mouthwash contains cetylpyridinium chloride, which does cause staining. The good news is any staining is surface (not fluorosis), and can be removed by a dentist. Crest Pro Health issues a warning on the tube that stannous fluoride may cause staining, which can be avoided by "proper brushing", and that its particular formulation is "resistant to staining".

Side note- I searched for that quote from Dr. Clemenza, but noticed that she has passed away, and her quote was gone from her website. Hmmm, maybe Crest didn't like her comments lol.

FWIW, there are numerous credible sources on this, more so with CPC mouthwashes, I wouldn’t have shared it if there was just one source.

And BTW, my dentist didn’t have any idea that mouthwashes with CPC (and maybe toothpastes with stannous fluoride) can stain the teeth of “some” patients. She was surprised, and interested.

 

[easysurfer]

Not including at the dentist office and rinsing after cleaning, haven't used mouthwash for a long time. I seem to recall a dentist saying to avoid Listerine as too rough on the gums (but my memory could be off, which won't be the first time).

I do brush my teeth alot (usually around 4-5 times a day and floss daily). As for controlling bad breath, I think flossing is more important than mouthwash.

 

[stargazer08]

I had the same issue when using that crap. I only used it for a few months but it took 2 hours with the hygienist to clean my teeth! They were turning black! I will not use any Crest products ever again.

 

[Midpack]

Not including at the dentist office and rinsing after cleaning, haven't used mouthwash for a long time. I seem to recall a dentist saying to avoid Listerine as too rough on the gums (but my memory could be off, which won't be the first time).

That’s widely held, because of the alcohol in most Listerine mouthwashes, and I wouldn’t recommend otherwise. As I noted in the OP, I’m using an alcohol free Listerine. FWIW

 

[Chazzmatazz]

I had the same problem. I was getting stained teeth using Crest Pro Health rinse. My dental hygienist removed the staining a couple times during my cleaning but I did not like the staining between cleanings. I found a solution that has been working well. Rinse with Crest Pro Health. After the recommended 30 seconds, spit it out. Rinse with water to remove the Crest Pro Health. Rinse with Crest 3D Advanced Whitening. Again wait the recommended 30 seconds, then spit it out. Rinse with water. This adds a little more time to my cleaning, but I no longer get tooth staining between dental cleanings. I appreciate the fact that the Pro Health is killing bacteria that causes plaque. The 3D whitening product makes no such claim, so both rinses are necessary. I don't want to mix the two rinses which is why I rinse with water between the Pro Health and the 3D Whitening.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Very interesting. We have been using the Crest club packs for years and haven't had the issue. I know that I haven't had a cavity in many, many, years and my professional cleaning are usually 30 minutes or less with no indication of staining. No wash mouth for us, just old school flossing for me and Water Pik for the DW.

Edit: Perhaps because we aren't using the "pro health" version. I tried it for a while but found the flavor to be quite disgusting. We use Crest Complete w/ Scope.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Happened to me also. I was using "Crest Pro Health", which has stannous fluoride (SF). DW complained that my teeth were turning gray. Indeed, the dentist spent quite some time removing the stain from my teeth. According to a Tufts , and Pharmacy Times article, SF is antimicrobial and can fight gingivitis, and reduces hypersensitivity. However, SF can reduce to tin when exposed to water, and this causes the staining. New patented formulations claim to solve this, but fails in my experience. If you use SF toothpaste, watch for staining. You don't want to be tin grin. I'm sticking with prescription-strength sodium fluoride toothpaste.

 

[audreyh1]

We don’t use mouthwash. We brush and floss. We get compliments on our teeth and gum health from our dental hygienist.

 

[Lsbcal]

We don’t use mouthwash. We brush and floss. We get compliments on our teeth and gum health from our dental hygienist.

We don’t use mouthwash either. I think the mechanical aspect of toothbrush’s gets the job done and one can always brush the tongue a bit too.

 

[davebarnes]

The best mouthwash is NaHCO3 + H2O2.
Tastes awful. Don’t swallow.
Cleans really well.

 

[LOL!]

Never had a hygienist mention staining until last week, but I've increased my hot tea drinking from about zero cups a day to 3 cups a day in the past 6 months after being gifted some great-tasting teas.

I suspect Crest whitestrips will take care of Crest toothpaste staining.

 

[John Galt III]

Went to the dentist for a checkup a few months ago. Before going, I checked my teeth and noticed I had some brownish dark spots on some portions of some molars just below the gum line, but not on the other parts of the tooth. I didn't mention the stains, since I didn't want therm to then be defined as cavities. The dentist did not mention any staining, and did not identify them as cavities, either, lol. I thought it was unusual for only portions of a tooth to be stained. Oh well.

 

[NoMoreJob]

No staining here. If I need a filling replaced the dentist always chooses the whitest fill available to match my teeth. I don't drink coffee but get my caffeine though regular consumption of Coke Zero. I've used Crest Toothpaste all my life but don't use mouthwash, just brush with a Sonicare and floss daily.

 

[Charlie55]

Prohealth is a terrible product and P&G terrible company

Same thing happened to me...my teeth were black within 6 months. I couldn't figure it out. I went to get my teeth cleaned...and my dentist asked if I was using Crest Mouthwash, and that it was infamous for staining teeth. I complained to Crest and Procter & Gamble, who owns them, replied. I asked them to pay for my cleaning. They sent these long forms and told me to send them $150 cleaning bill. It cost me $3 to send, because they are in Europe. They sent me back a $5 gift card. What a joke. P&G is a huge company...and this is how they treat customers. Selling horrible products, and then skirting responsibility. And still selling it to this day. I have since avoided their products, and hope others do too. Shameful.

 

[Sanstar]

I avoid fluoride in any form due to its implications in adversely affecting thyroid function. Since switching to charcoal toothpaste, teeth have never been whiter. Brush 2x day with Oral B sonic, floss in PM. No carries, 20 min or less dental cleaning for years. If I feel the need to rinse with anything other than water, will use a little bicarbonate in warm water.

I also don’t drink tap water in any form since adding a distiller to kitchen counter. If I need bottles of water traveling, will stick with vapor distilled water.

 

[pj.mask]

I avoid fluoride in any form due to its implications in adversely affecting thyroid function. Since switching to charcoal toothpaste, teeth have never been whiter. Brush 2x day with Oral B sonic, floss in PM. No carries, 20 min or less dental cleaning for years. If I feel the need to rinse with anything other than water, will use a little bicarbonate in warm water.

I also don’t drink tap water in any form since adding a distiller to kitchen counter. If I need bottles of water traveling, will stick with vapor distilled water.

I’ve heard that fluoride is important for teeth health but can produce yellowing. I’d take slight discoloring over cavities; have also heard charcoal toothpaste can damage enamel.

We use RO water due to other contaminant risks - I wonder about the risk for distilled water as any contaminants that boil below 212F would not be removed and may be concentrated.

I’m interested in what information drove you to these decisions? I looked up some info on thyroid impacts from fluoride but the studies I found were in warmer countries where I wonder if drinking 2L/day is a realistic.