A woman went viral on TikTok after claiming that her Therabreath mouthwash caused her teeth to turn yellow.
TikTok user May (@may_gah), first posted a video about the claim last week. She writes in the text overlay, “Me wondering why my teeth was turning brown. Like did I really drink that much coffee? NOPE. It’s just the new mouth wash that I got that contains cetylpyridinium.”
“Ummm @TheraBreath,” she wrote further in the caption. “Imma need a therapist or my money back LOL. I thought I was going insane.”
After the video went viral, many TikTok users supported May’s claim in the comments, saying they had experienced the same issue.
Recently, she posted an update video showing the damage allegedly caused by the Therabreath mouthwash up close.
How severe is the discoloration?
In her recent clip, which has garnered over 193,500 views at the time of writing, May starts by pleading with TikTok doctors.
“Please, I don’t want to see a dentist or a dental hygienist or anyone in the dental field like stitching this video like ‘This is why your teeth turned brown,’” she says.
She jokingly mentions having “this London look” that she doesn’t want plastered all over the platform, likely referring to the gap between her front teeth.
May then zooms in on her teeth, showing the viewers “the stains.” As she pans the camera, a slight yellow tint is visible, mostly along the edges of her teeth, especially on the bottom row.
“Do you see that?” she exclaims. “It literally looks so bad.”
While May states the stains aren’t visible from afar, but are glaringly obvious up close.
“This is literally so embarrassing,” she says while demonstrating. “I’ve been smiling at customers like, ‘Hi, what can I get for you?’”
As a final point, May explains that discoloration due to cetylpyridinium, an ingredient found in some Therabreath mouthwashes, “only happens to like 3% of the population.”
“Who knows? It might not happen to you,” she concludes. “Just beware when you buy that mouthwash.”
Does Therabreath mouthwash stain teeth?
While it may seem counterintuitive for a dental hygiene product to stain your teeth, some mouthwashes can indeed cause discoloration. As May pointed out, this is more likely with products containing cetylpyridinium chloride.
However, according to an article by dental hygienist Whitney DiFoggio (TeethTalkGirl), it’s not the ingredient itself that causes yellowing. Instead, it’s the bacteria already present on the teeth reacting with the mouthwash.
The article notes that this issue affects only about 3% of people, and if staining occurs, it’s superficial and can easily be removed with a professional cleaning.
It’s also worth noting that several Therabreath mouthwashes do not contain cetylpyridinium chloride, and this ingredient isn’t exclusive to the brand—many other dental products use it as well.
Commenters think May is being too harsh on herself
In the comments, TikTok users reassure May that her teeth look great, while some give her advice on an alternative mouthwash she could try.
“Your teeth are not ugly! Staining is so normal and is not noticeable,” wrote one user. “Love the gap teeth, too, think it’s so cute and miss my gap. Be kind to yourself.”
“The whitening Therabreath in the sparkly bottle is my FAVORITE,” advised another. “It is such an easy way to whiten daily, and it truly does work!! It’s a game changer promise.”
“I need a dentist to stitch to explain,” wrote a third. “I love Therabreath.”
@may_gah How am i gonna explain to my dentist that im not dirty and that a mouthwash stained my teeth 😭
♬ original sound – may_gah
The Daily Dot has reached out to May via email and Instagram Direct message. We’ve also contacted Therabreath via their online contact form for comment.
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