Dirty molars/teeth

[Cdp95]

Hi everyone, I haven't been on here for so long, since I had my braces off! But I have a question that isn't brace related but still teeth related.

I am extremely careful with my dental hygiene. I brush my teeth for at least 2 mins twice a day, use interdental brushes twice a day and currently using corsodyl mouthwash twice a day.

But last night I was having a looking around my mouth, I used to do this all the time when I had braces haha! And my teeth, especially my molars looked really dirty, they have a brown-grey colour in the 'crevices' and they just look like I've never brushed them! I've been to the dentist about 3x this year so far. Once to check my teeth before my braces came off, then to clean and polish my teeth after removing my braces, then once more recently as I had pain in one tooth (not a dirty one actually) when I bit down on it. He said it wasn't a cavity but I had minor gum irritation as my teeth were still trying to settle post-braces and they were quite inflamed so he told me to use corosodyl mouthwash twice a day for a month, which I'm still doing. Every time I went he said I had brilliant dental hygiene as always and never mentioned any cavities or anything. But my teeth look really yucky and I don't know why!

Have any of you experienced anything like this before? There isn't any pain but I'm aware that in the early stages of cavities there is usually no pain. If they are the beginnings of cavities would it really happen to ALL my molars at the same time?!

Thanks everyone for reading, hope you're all well

[rowo]

Do you floss? Do your gums bleed when you brush/floss? It could be mild periodontal disease.

[Cdp95]

Yes I floss as well, I can't floss on my top front 6 teeth because I've got a permanent retainer, hence why I use to interdental brushes there instead. No, my gums have never bled before!

[beckyboo0205]

Could it just be staining from the mouthwash? I had this with a different mouthwash earlier. I just noticed it on my molars. I looked up that mouthwash and this was a "Side effect":

Brown staining of the teeth. This is not permanent and can largely be avoided by brushing the teeth before using the mouthwash (but see also warning section above), or in the case of dentures, using a conventional denture cleaner. Where normal brushing is not possible, or if any staining remains, your teeth may need scaling and polishing by your dentist after you have finished using the mouthwash.

When I had staining, it did come off when I went for a polishing.

[sirwired]

I Googled "Corosodyl staining" and from there saw that the active ingredient is Chlorhexidine Gluconate (a.k.a. CHG). (In the US it's known by the brand name Peridex and is also available widely as a generic.)

CHG is very well-known to cause staining, even at the lesser dose (0.12%) used in the US. I imagine Corosodyl would cause even more since it's at 0.2%. My periodontist warned me about it when prescribing it after every gum graft.

The staining should be able to be easily removed in a regular cleaning. Find out if you still need to use it; I didn't think long-term use was very common in the absence of gum disease. Also, ask if you can use a different mouthwash; there are several that are quite good and don't have the same issue; Listerine, and 10% Carbamide Peroxide (Gly-Oxide) are the first two that come to mind. Just avoid switching to a rinse containing Cetyl-Pyrindium Chloride; it causes staining too.

[Cdp95]

Thank you! I never thought of that but it's only happened since I started using corsodyl. I'm going to stop using it and go back to my listerine. I gave them a really good clean with my electric toothbrush and they're looking less stained already! Again, thanks.

[Melusine]

Hi OP! The mouthwash you use is also called Peridex. Peridex can cause staining if used more than 2 weeks (my oral surgeon said 10 days).

I had to use Peridex / Corsodyl after my orthognathic and TMJ dysfunction surgery. I was given bad, bad advice by the residents after my oral surgery at discharge - they told me to use the stuff until the bottle was gone! So I used it about a month. I had horrible, horrible staining from this mouthwash. You may notice that you have some staining on your tongue too. Not only does it stain, but it can cause plaque to build up more quickly. I mainly had staining and no build up because I brush so frequently.

I had to go to my regular dentist and tell them about it during a cleaning. They had to use special tools to remove the staining, and it is 100% better - but still there. Basically, the hygienist did not want to do too much work around the brackets and glue because her tools could destroy the bonding or make it weak.

Supersmile is a whitening toothpaste that claims to remove Peridex staining. I've got it (it isn't cheap) and things look a little better, slowly but surely.

Hope this helps. It is NOT your hygiene. I seriously brush at least three times a day, use interdental sticks throughout the day, floss at night, and use a waterpik AM and PM. I was using a DiamondClean Sonicare as well when this happened (had to stop because I developed Trigeminal Neuralgia). This has to do with the drug and the fact that it stains teeth. Call your dentist - really, they are the only ones who can clean this off. Tell them you are using peridex / corsodyl so they know what they are dealing with.

Good luck!

[Cdp95]

Thank you Melusine. I've stopped using it now. I was told to by my dentist but he never told me for how long! Cleaning twice a day thoroughly with an electric toothbrush and colgate whitening toothpaste seems to be making a difference. I'm just using my usual 0% alcohol Listerine mouthwash! Again, thanks!