Cetylpyridinium chloride and rinsing with water before use.

September 24, 2013 7:55 PM

Why does mouthwash with main ingredient of Cetylpyridinium chloride have a bullet point saying to 'rinse with water if used after brushing'?
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a to Health & Fitness (5 answers total)

I recently used a mouthwash containing cetylpyridinium chloride whereby my doctor and dentist both indicated it could stain my teeth.

I only used one course due to having my wisdon teeth out, so perhaps it's due to teeth staining issues.

But why someone thought it would be good to use in a mouth wash I don't know.
posted by Youremyworld at 8:02 PM on September 24, 2013

Wikipedia says:

Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) is a cationic quaternary ammonium compound in some types of mouthwashes, toothpastes, lozenges, throat sprays, breath sprays, and nasal sprays. It is an antiseptic that kills bacteria and other microorganisms. It has been shown to be effective in preventing dental plaque and reducing gingivitis. It has also been used as an ingredient in certain pesticides. Cetylpyridinium chloride may cause brown stains between the teeth and on the surface of teeth.[emphasis added] However, these stains can be easily removed by a dentist during a routine check-up.

So it looks like Youremyworld got it.
posted by alms at 8:17 PM on September 24, 2013

It will leave you with tea colored stains, but it's good at helping remove plaque. Some of the Crest Pro-Health products have it.
posted by 26.2 at 8:28 PM on September 24, 2013

For the record, though the stains are removable, it's going to take slightly more than your standard dental cleaning, so be prepared for that. I used a prescription CPC mouthwash after getting my wisdom teeth extracted, and I had pretty significant, unsightly brown staining on all my teeth. The dentist had to do a thorough (read: lengthy) cleaning to get all the staining off. My teeth are fine now, but I won't use another CPC mouthwash unless it's medically necessary.
posted by easy, lucky, free at 10:45 PM on September 24, 2013

These things do stain, but I don't think that has anything to do with the rinsing. I know chlorhexidine has a similar thing about rinsing, and in that case it's because the detergents in toothpaste can break it down, according to the oral surgeon who prescribed it to me at the time. It seems probable that the same thing is happening here; you want the toothpaste gone before you use it. I don't know how rinsing after you brushed and before using the mouthwash would do anything to prevent staining.
posted by Sequence at 3:18 AM on September 25, 2013