USA Today Reports on Crest Pro-Health Rinse

USA Today has published its own report on Crest Pro Health mouthwash entitled “Crest rinse fights off customer complaints.” Items to note:

• “P&G says ‘99.99%’ of users have had no complaints and that any discoloration or aftertaste is temporary.” How did they arrive at this figure? I used several bottles of this stuff before I finally discovered that it was staining my teeth.

• “Brinker said temporary discoloration can be a sign that the product is killing harmful germs, which can be brushed away, or reflect the user’s eating, drinking and brushing habits.” Oh, so the deep dark brown stains are a good sign that the product is working as designed? Is Brinker saying that I could brush the stains away and that they’re probably caused by my eating, drinking, and brushing habits? If so, that’s flat-out wrong. After getting the stains cleaned from my teeth, I stopped using Crest Pro Health Rinse and have not changed my eating, drinking, or brushing habits. Guess what – No stains.

• “Brinker said P&G doesn’t see a need for a warning label because the number of those affected is very small.” I doubt they know the real number.

I’m not saying that P&G should issue a product recall and pull the product off the shelves or that everyone should stop using it. For some people, Crest Pro-Health Rinse may play a valuable role in their oral hygiene. What I want to see is a warning label, so if staining or loss of taste does occur, consumers will have an easier time identifying the cause.

You can read Dr. Gerlach’s letter to consumers on the Crest Pro-Health website to gain a better understanding of Proctor & Gamble’s official stand on this issue.