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Crest rinse fights off customer complaints
Posted 5/7/2008 3:30 PM | Comments16 | Recommend18
CINCINNATI (AP) — Persistent consumer complaints are causing some stains on a Procter & Gamble's (PG) Crest.
Crest Pro-Health Rinse hit the market three years ago as an alcohol-free mouthwash that not only freshens breath but fights oral maladies such as gingivitis and plaque. The strong-selling product has caused some users to report discoloration of their teeth and numbing taste.
P&G says "99.99%" of users have had no complaints and that any discoloration or aftertaste is temporary.
But NBC's Today show reported Wednesday that the complaints have led to a consumer lawsuit alleging fraud and to further study by the Food and Drug Administration, which approved the product.
Laura Brinker, a Crest spokeswoman, declined to comment on the pending litigation. She said an FDA panel is gathering information, but that the product is in full compliance with current standards.
Posted Wednesday on the Crest website was a statement from Robert Gerlach, a dentist and P&G researcher, saying that the product has been tested extensively and proved to be safe and effective.
"The millions of consumers who use it every day, and the growing number of dentists who recommend it, can attest to that," Gerlach said.
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.
P&G said nearly 100 million bottles — a one-liter bottle retails from $4.69 — have been sold as Pro-Health Rinse. It is the second-leading mouthwash behind Johnson & Johnson's venerable, alcohol-containing Listerine.
But Pro-Health rinse has been dogged by complaints repeatedly showing up on Internet sites.
"Crest Pro-Health mouthwash turned my teeth brown! And on top of that, I can't taste anything!" a reader identified only as Monique wrote to consumerist.com, a consumer affairs website. There are scores more complaints there and on other sites.
"I thought it was unusual in terms of how many people it's affecting," said Ben Popken, Consumerist's editor. "Sometimes you might hear from a handful, but there seems to be a pretty decent body of people saying this."
Steve Markus, a dentist in Haddon Heights, N.J., said people with porcelain implants or other dental and orthodontic appliances could be susceptible to staining from the rinse. He said the mouthwash apparently aids oral health.
"Anything being done to combat disease in the mouth, anything to disrupt the bacteria, helps," said Markus.
Brinker said P&G doesn't see a need for a warning label because the number of those affected is very small.
"You don't want to discourage people from using a product when they will receive very important health benefits," she said.
She said P&G expects more consumer calls, and considers refunds on a case-by-case basis.
Crest Pro-Health Rinse: Stained teeth and loss of taste
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Stained Brown ; (, July 8, 2006 
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