Any dentists or hygienists about? Question about Corsodyl

[Bluebird76]

As my gums were bleeding and swollen the hygienist has put me on a regime of brushing my teeth with corsodyl gel every evening (and using interdental brushes with it on) instead of toothpaste. I've been doing this religiously for 6 weeks now and it's working well - the gum inflammation is much reduced. The hygienist has now told me to keep going with the daily corsodyl regime until I next see her in three months time, which will mean nearly 5 months of daily use. I'm a bit nervous about this - it seems to be a pretty strong antimicrobial, and the packet suggests a course of only a month for gum disease. Is long-term use like this a standard recommendation, or am I right to be a bit wary? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Go on, ring her! I call my hygienist Dragon Lady, she's very strict. She is very nice and charming until she goes to work on my teeth.

Haha yes - I reckon hygienist training school must have lessons in fierceness. Mine is very nice too but I wouldn't want to cross her. I guess what she recommends must be what she's decided works! I will keep following her advice for now (unless any hygienists/dentists turn up on this thread and say noooo!) as it does seem to have made a huge difference. When I next see her I will push back on the idea of using it for much longer.

Late post but might be helpful to someone! I have severe periodontitis and after years of being told the same stuff I finally made my dentist refer me to a specialist periodontist. She told me NOT to use Corsodyl and that it should only really be used after something like surgery for a short time. It’s not a long term solution and can mask gum disease (which leads to periodontitis) and can make everything worse as it’s strong stuff. Could even advance gum loss. Instead brushing and interdental sticks are the best way to look after your teeth and gums. Studies prove interdental sticks to be the best way to prevent ending up like me (what I learnt at 42!) But if you are suffering try using Colgate Duraphat 5000 (I got mine at an online pharmacy as not available in shops) for a while. Pea size amount, don’t spit after brushing but use your saliva mixed with the toothpaste and swish like a mouthwash for 1 min then spit and brush again. (Gross, sorry!) Don’t rinse or drink after for at least an hr, preferably 2. Do that twice a day alongside the sticks. This advice cost me £220, you’re welcome!! X