During my previous visit to the dentist, the dental hygienist said that my teeth had a lot of plaque, so I decided to put a real effort into caring for my teeth. I brushed after every meal, flossed once or twice a day, and started rising with Crest Pro-Health mouthwash.
After a couple weeks, I noticed that my teeth were stained worse than ever – dark brown stains particularly near the gum line. When I smiled, my daughter said that it looked as though I had algae growing on my teeth.
I assumed it was from the harsh cleaning I had received at the dentist office. I thought maybe the hygienist had scrubbed off a protective layer and that the first few cups of coffee I had after that cleaning had somehow soaked into my porous teeth.
Today, I visited the dentist for my six-month checkup. She looked at my teeth and noted how stained they were. She said, “You’re not a smoker, are you?” I told her no, I’m not a smoker.
The hygienist did her cleaning. She needed a special high-powered water pick to blast the stain off. She couldn’t finish. She scheduled me for another appointment.
I explained how discouraged I was. Here I was trying my best to care for my teeth, and this was the worst staining I’ve had in my entire life. How could that be possible?
The hygienist asked if I brushed with Crest Pro-Health. I said no, I don’t brush with it but I do use Crest Pro-Health mouthwash at least once a day and sometimes twice. I asked her why? She explained that Crest Pro-Health toothpaste uses stannous fluoride, which can stain some people’s teeth. She said she didn’t think the mouthwash had stannous fluoride. (I checked the label when I got home – no stannous fluoride. Sure enough, the toothpaste tube does have a warning “products containing stannous fluoride may produce surface staining of the teeth.” No such warning appears on the mouthwash bottle.)
When I got home, I Googled “crest pro health mouthwash stains teeth.” The entire first page of results contained links to articles and blog posts from people who reported that Crest Pro-Health mouthwash stained their teeth a dark brown soon after they began using it.
This really irritates me. I was using a product I thought would make my teeth healthier and whiter and make my gums stronger. Instead, it made my smile look like I was a two-pack a day smoker.
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Same thing happened to me. Always had perfect, white teeth and after 2 months of using the mouthwash theyre brown stained everywhere.
I am so happy I found this article! I have been obsessing over the staining between my teeth for about 1.5 years. That’s about the time I switched from Listerine to the Crest Pro-Health. I had no idea what was causing the staining. My hygienist thought it was probably from my diet so I completely stopped drinking iced tea and red wine. I am absolutely throwing away the bottle I just bought!
It is sad that they are doing this, without actually checking their product. Thanks for posting this.
I have had the same problem with this awful product, it was like something was growing between my teeth, disgusting! I ended up finding a quick teeth whitening solution here: http://www.goobagifts.com/whiteteeth but it was a nightmare until then!
HI, First of all pour their mouthwash down the drain and get rid of it. The way I got the brown stains OFF my teeth was to take dental floss and dip it in Pearl Dropps Toothpaste (it is gentle & whitens), then floss the stains off bit by bit between my teeth. Then I also dried my teeth with a piece of paper towel and then put some Pearl Dropps Toothpaste on a small piece of paper towel and hand-polished my teeth as they were almost dry, into whiteness again. I was happy I found a way to ‘do it myself’ without harming my teeth or gums. (My Mother was a Dental Assistant so I knew a few things about being respectful of ones’ teeth and going slowly and carefully re: home-cleaning. Use clean new paper towel and be mindful as you put your toothpaste thickly on your dental floss that all is clean clean and clean. ) Really though this awful mouthwash product should NOT be sold anywhere ever again. I give it a F minus.
Hey everyone,
I too had greenish stains after using mouthwash. I was using the Walmart/Target version which was tinted green. I was greatly alarmed when I noticed the stains growing almost like a fungus or so it seemed. I stopped using it when reading that others had similar experiences. I assumed it was the coloring added to the product. I switched to Crest Pro-Health since it’s clear. However, the stains have returned with a vengeance! I have a dental cleaning scheduled for this week. From what I’m finding in searches, this isn’t uncommon. I’m totally done with mouthwashes! On a positive note, the staining is easily cleaned by a dentist. Good luck.
This product is terrible! After using this mouth wash for two months, I got horrible brown stains inbetween my teeth and along the gumline. Luckily, I saw the feedback posted here and stopped using it approximately 1 month before my dental cleaning.
The stains were easily removed at the dentist. However, I still find it appalling that Crest refuses to state the potential side effects on the bottle. I’m never using a Crest product again after this experience.
You should all go to their website and register a complaint and a poor review of the product
http://www.crestprohealth.com
I noticed a stain between 2 lower teeth 2 mos ago. I was due for a cleaning so I figured it would be gone. The hygentist said she couldn’t get rid of it. Figured I was luck to have 60 years of white teeth and it was just a factor of aging. However, last weekend I noticed more stains between teeth and one of the tip of a canine tooth where the ‘crease’ is. So I hit the web and am truly shocked to find that Crest is responsible. You’re right – there is a warning about that on their Pro-health products. Imagine that. Maybe Crest has a plan. 1. Pro-health: Very healthy but very brown teeth. 2. Come out with a whitener toothpaste that removes the brown from Pro Health. = Customers for life. NOT.
Caroline
I had the same thing happen. Never had stains on my teeth for fifty years. Starting using the Crest blue wash. I liked the taste and feel of it. But my dental hygienist confirmed that it the Crest Pro-Health causes staining. Trying Closys now.
Thanks for the post! I am experiencing the same problem. My bottom teeth have dark brown stains between each of the teeth. I am so embarrassed to smile. I was just at the dentist 3 months ago and they were pearly white when I left. Looks like I will be heading back for another cleaning.
Like all the other previous posters, thanks for posting! Now I know I’m not crazy. I bought both the toothpaste AND the mouthwash and within a few weeks noticed brown staining. It makes me feel like my mouth is always dirty. Hopefully the dentist can get most of it of in a few cleanings. Ugh!
Exact same issue here, used Pro health with Flouride. Heading to dentist for cleaning soon so hopefully it will be easily removed.
Omg…I am so glad I found this. I started getting dark stains between my teeth shortly after using this product as well and am going nuts.
Does anyone have a good substitute they can recommend?
I believe the culprit is Blue 1 that’s added to mouthwashes (including prescription Chlorahexadine Gluconate ones) and gel toothpastes. Apparently the green is doing it to some people, too. My hygenist has been spending more time trying to get rid of the stains than tarter. The last two visits still haven’t done it. I was told the Chlorahexadine was doing it, so I switched to the Crest Pro Health blue mouthwash. Same thing happened. It’s the blue dye, which the chemists probably didn’t think to put in it… but the marketing goons. I don’t think I’ve used any stannous flouride products.
Curaden Swiss makes the Curaprox line with Anti-Discoloration System. That’s what I’m going to try and get. More research tells me it’s not the dye but the active ingredients in Crest and CHX products that cause the stains. Otherwise, stick to the alcohol-based products. I find the menthol cantaining ones burn too much and aren’t as effective, though. It’s not the alcohol that burns.
After recently visiting my dental for a cleaning, I started to use ProHealth mouth rinse every morning. After two weeks, I started noticing the yellowing of my teeth and between the teeth. I bought the clear rinse that is alcohol free. I am going to demand a refund from Crest. Not sure how successful that will be. I also have to schedule another cleaning just to polish my teeth white again. So sad how big industry manipulates peoples desire to have healthy dental hygiene.
Holy crap. I’m so glad I found this website. I’ve been using Crest Pro-Health for about about a month now and just noticed some dark staining in between my teeth. Now I need to find some whitener.
What a relief to find this article!! I take dental health very seriously, get teeth cleaned at regular intervals, and all of the proper measures of a healthy mouth. But as one of you posted, I recently switched from Listerine to Crest pro health, and these ugly stains began appearing out of NOWHERE. Never, not once have I experienced such an outbreak in my life, but all of a sudden there they were. And I have to say, they are not attractive. They have now spread to my bottom front teeth, so Crest Pro Health, sorry but you have got to go… Hello again Listerine…
I use mouthwash for that extra cleaning factor, not an extra dirty appearance…
i had the SAME experience. all the places where there was slight enamel erosion(from prior braces, between teeth) there was a light brown discoloration. i have NEVER had that before and get my teeth cleaned every 6 mos. i had recently switched from listerine to pro health(the cvs brand). i was so puzzled and thought it was related to diet, but i drink the exact same coffee brand in the same quantities and maintain a similar diet.
horrible product… a dental product should not be allowed on shelves if it makes ur teeth look more brown instead of whiter.
Yep, me too… went to the dentist,,, she thought it was a cavity, drilled the brown spot along my gum line and filled it in again… She kept asking if it hurt before or after, and I said no, never.. which is very un-cavity like… So it was a stupid stain causes by using BOTH pro white paste AND mouthwash for months… No more… I can’t believe I had to LOSE part of my tooth to get rid of the stain, but at least its gone!
It’s not just the Crest products. I’ve been using Walmart’s Equate Blue Tint and have been getting brown stains between the teeth. I couldn’t believe it. Unforunately I’ve been using it for over a month before I realized what the problem was. I even started using a straw to drink my beverages. $5.000 for Invisalign braces, regular dental visits and $80 cleanings and a $2.50 bottle of mouthwash ruins it all.
thank you I thought I was going crazy I used this toothpaste too hoping to have white healthy teeth and noticed the brown stains on my teeth……thanks again for the information I will stop using……
Me too – I am mad at the product but sort of relieved to read it is not my teeth, age or whatever. Now to try to get it off!
I just started using the Crest Pro Health Mouthwash about two weeks ago. I noticed brown stains around my top and bottom gum lines. I went online to research what it could be and found the article on this mouthwash. I am so upset. I thought I was also using a good product. It was advertised on the show The Doctors. I am so sorry I switched from using Listerine. I am going to get a dental cleaning this week. This product should be pulled from the market!!!!!!!!!!
I thought I was doing nuts! I always take care of my teeth and have never had stains like this! How embarrassing. My boyfriend even asked me if I had food in my teeth.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I could not figure out what was going on. The last time I was at the dentist, the stains weren’t bad and had two cavities (boo!). The dentist asked if I used a mouthwash like Crest Pro Health and I said yes I do but not daily. I started using it daily and the stains crept up badly, it almost looks like food stuck between my teeth!!! Not using it anymore! I’m going to try the pearl drops toothpaste and floss Jane mentioned.
This is making me feel a lot better – I use the Crest Pro-Health purple mouthwash every morning and also another (stronger) mouthwash that my dentist prescribed (CaviRinse?). While I know I need to be better about my flossing, the brown stains in between my bottom front teeth only appeared within the last few days – there was nothing there before! And I have had a lot of dental work done recently, and my dentist hadn’t pointed out that area of my mouth as a place that we need to look out for. I have my 6 month check-up tomorrow, and was having panic attacks that I would need to have additional and more extensive dental work done. Hopefully the stains are just a result of this – I think I can live with the stains as long as I stop the mouthwash!!
ME TOO! I’ve only been using it a week and a half and my teeth have yucky browness between most and on edges of some worn ones. I was hoping for whiter, more protected teeth. Crest should recall all that crap and send customers who have used it some type of teeth cleaning voucher toward a professional cleaning or kit for whitening teeth. SHAME ON CREST!
I am soooo glad I found this website! I didn’t know what was happening. I used ACT for two years and tried Crest a couple of months ago. I will definitely be pouring the rest down the drain and switching back to ACT!
Soooo glad I happen to search for solutions to the worsening stains between my upper teeth and found this article. Thank you, thank you , thank so very much to everyone for sending in comments and experieces related to this and to Mr. Kraynak for having this on the web.
Thank you for this post! I’ve always used Arm & Hammer toothpaste, sometimes use hydrogen peroxide mixed with water as a mouthwash of sorts and floss fairly regularly. I’ve often gotten compliments on my ‘nice’ ‘white’ teeth, always felt good to hear it too, especially since I never used whiteners and such.
I think I purchased a tube of this stuff on sale and after a recent glance in the mirror I was terrified to see this discoloration along my bottom gum line and between the teeth, was mostly shocked just to see it happening to so many teeth all at once, thought they were all cavities or the beginnings of periodontal disease somehow showing up overnight.
Maybe the discoloration was caused by something else (I thought maybe too abrasive with toothbrush/use of fluoride . . . any maybe still so) but like the other poster said, seemed to occur anywhere that showed previous signs of mild enamel erosion.
Anyhow, thanks again for sharing!
Same experience here! Very disappointed that Crest still promotes this product when obviously it should be pulled from the retail market. I have totally lost confidence in Procter & Gamble as they know this problem is serious but continue to sell the product.
Thanks for this page. I suddenly had rather heavy staining on my teeth, even though I had been more careful than ever about my dental hygiene (including, of course, using the Crest Pro-Health Rinse). It happened so abruptly that my wife was worried that I might have some sort of health problem. Then she started using the Pro-Health rinse as well, and sure enough started getting stains. That prompted the internet search that led me here. It’s nice to know what’s going on, but I’m also pretty mad!
About two weeks ago I used Crest ProHealth mouthwash for the first and only time. I used it right before bed, after I had brushed and flossed my teeth. The next morning when I woke up I had lost my sense of taste. This gradually faded and I was back to normal within 48 hours.
I’ll never put this poison in my mouth again.
I have emailed P&G to complain and will file a complaint with Health Canada, as well as telling everyone I know not to use this stuff.
It is amazing. When I think of quality dental products or at least when I used to think of quality, Crest was the answer on my list.
After reading about these stains not to mention the way my mouth broke out from their Pro-Health toothpaste, I have crossed crest off my list.
So much for thinking I found a great deal on the rinse for only $3.99. That could have been lunch money.
Screw you Crust.
THANK YOU for posting this! The ironic thing is, I was using that mouthwash more than ever since I noticed all of the brown stains between my teeth! Seriously, I was beginning to panic that all of my teeth were just rotting. What a crap product. Teeth health is more important than looks, yes. But how clean my teeth LOOK are still VERY important. I don’t even drink soda/coffee/tea and my poor teeth looked like I had been smoking 2 packs a day. Thank you again!
Thank you for posting this! I’ve been in a panic over here wondering what’s up with the brown stuff between all my teeth. I started using this product a few weeks ago so it all makes sense now. The rest of this bottle is going down the drain.
I had even given up tea and red wine because of this thinking they were the cause, but I found it odd since my quantity of consumption hasn’t changed in years.
I am a hygienist and let’s just say the crest rep does not like me very much!!! I will not allow my patients to use pro health but other crest products are great . The pro health doesn’t stain everyone but there are too many who do stain. It takes me forever to polish it off! Not a fan of pro health!!!!
Thank you. I had resigned myself to living with the brown spot on my front tooth (after blue mouth wash). I tried the pearl drops and cotton bud trick and it worked!
Yes! I am yet another unhappy customer that bought the rinse to help with cavities at my dentist’s recommendation. After only about three weeks of use, my boyfriend pointed out that my teeth, which I take great care to keep white, were yellower than usual. I thought that maybe it was because I was drinking more coffee than usual. But then I stumbled across this article–thank God!! It has also been wearing away at my bottom teeth and exposing the nerves. I’m going to dump that crap down the drain right now!!
I bought one of the large bottles of Crest Pro Health complete a few months ago and just finished it a few days ago. I wasn’t exactly an extremely diligent brusher but when I started seeing the brown stains around my bottom front teeth I became much more persistent. Much to my dismay, try as I might the stains didn’t dissipate. On the contrary, they have gotten worse! Now my roommate has bought a bottle of the same stuff. After looking at this I took a look at the bottle. The Regular Crest Pro-Health may not have a warning about tooth staining but Crest Pro-Health Complete does bear a warning even though it is Sodium Fluoride listed as the active ingredient. I have just gotten a bottle of ACT restoring mouthwash. It is also Sodium Fluoride but does not bear a warning. I’ll ask my dentist in a week about it and see if I should continue to use my new mouthwash or avoid anything with Fluoride all together.
THANK YOU for posting this! I know it’s several years old but I just found it today. I was never really a mouthwash user before, but a few weeks ago I bought some Crest Pro-Health mouthwash and switched to Sensodyne Pronamel toothpaste. Several days ago I woke up and noticed some staining between my teeth and near the gumline. I freaked out! I thought my teeth were rotting. I smoke socially and drink coffee, but neither in excess, so I was baffled. I was also shocked by how fast they appeared–it felt like I went to bed one night with clean, white teeth, and the next day woke up with stains! I am in a super busy month at work and have no time for the dentist so I had no idea what to do about the problem.
I searched around online and found your article just now, I am so relieved that this is most likely the cause of the problem. I initially thought it was the Sensodyne but could find no reports online of the product causing staining. Now I know that the moment I get home from work tonight, I will be pouring my Crest Pro Health down the drain and never buying it again! I’m also going to email the company; it’s outrageous that they are peddling a product that’s supposed to clean your teeth and instead causes staining!
Thanks again for sharing!!
I am also a victim of Crest Pro Health mouthwash…I stared using it about 1 month ago…thinking that it would be a good product…NOT! All I can say is I hope my ugly brown tooth stains come off…I will try the Pearl Drops tomorrow…and I will NEVER purchase any more Crest products…Bastards
I am so glad I found this post. I had terrible stains between my teeth for over a year, while using Crest Pro Health toothpaste. I stopped drinking red wine and coffee, and avoided colored fruits like blueberries but nothing worked until I changed toothpastes (started using Colgate Total about a month ago). I seriously considered getting veneers, thinking my teeth were permanently shot.
The good news is, the stains have mostly disappeared on their own. But I am very angry that I endured so much stress and inconvenience because of a toothpaste. Especially one that calls itself “Pro Health!”
They should rename it “Crest Pro Diseased-Looking.” I will never buy another Crest product again.
Today I searched about the stains and just found out! I’ve been using it for a year and noticed staining about a few months in… Hopefully they will go away now that I am going to stop using it,
I noticed stains and googled and found this. I checked my mouthwash and guess what!! Crest Pro Health. I am furious, I have always has white teeth. I am going to contact them!
First of all, I am not associated with Crest in anyway. I am a practicing dental hygienist and have worked for a periodontist (gum specialist) for the past 25 years.
It amazes me how the general public is totally unaware of what is true dental health. I don’t want to say you are clueless, but really, you are. By no fault of your own, you haven’t been educated about the true cause of dental disease. You’ve been bombarded by advertising, some of which is misleading. The staining on your teeth created by these products has no relationship to the actual health of the teeth and gums. You could have perfect health of teeth and gums and have staining. Lack of stain does not equal good health. Presence of stain does not equal poor health. Your concerns about developing stain are purely a cosmetic problem. The actual health of your gum tissue has probably improved from the use of these products. The active ingredients are focused on the primary cause of dental disease, i.e. bacteria. If the bacteria that causes either dental decay or periodontal disease, is reduced and controlled, along with active dental treatment, the chances of improving health is greatly affected. The side effect of staining while bothersome, does not affect health. You should also be aware that if you are developing stain, the stain is actually disclosing what you’re missing when you brush and floss, i.e. the mechanical removal of the biofilm that is picking up the staining properties of these products. So what you really should be focusing on is improving your brushing and flossing technique. That’s what your dental hygienist should be reviewing with you if she finds you have developed staining from these products.
Hi, Cheryl–
Of course we’re “clueless” when manufacturers withhold important information. As for being clueless about dental health, I find your claim is groundless and insulting. We just want healthy, white teeth — not teeth that look like we’re three-pack a day smokers. Certainly that goal is within reach with products that don’t cause nasty dark brown stains. I’m just glad that Crest has finally added some wording to the label that indicates the possibility of it staining teeth, whatever the cause, so I can make an educated decision of which product to choose… in this case NOT Crest Pro Health mouthwash.
“We just want healthy, white teeth ”
That was the whole point of her comment – “healthy” and “white” are unrelated. If you want white teeth, fine, but it has nothing to do with whether or not your teeth are healthy.
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