"she warned me not to overdo it since it can stain your teeth a bit if you use it too long."
Yeah, that's definitely true about chlorhexidine. I used it briefly after my apicoectomy, and while it did help with inflammation, I noticed some staining after just a week or two. Nothing major, but enough to make me switch back to salt water rinses sooner than planned. Honestly, salt water alone worked surprisingly well for me—cheap, easy, and no staining worries. I also found that gently brushing with a soft-bristle toothbrush around the area (once it wasn't too sensitive) helped keep things clean without irritating the healing site. Everyone's different though, so it's good you're experimenting to find what works best for you.
"Honestly, salt water alone worked surprisingly well for me—cheap, easy, and no staining worries."
Same here, salt water was my go-to after surgery. Chlorhexidine did help initially, but the staining annoyed me more than it probably should've...nothing a quick polish couldn't fix though.
Salt water's always been my first choice too, but I found adding a bit of baking soda helped ease the soreness even faster. Chlorhexidine was effective, sure, but dealing with stains got old pretty quick...
Salt water and baking soda combo definitely helped me too, but honestly, I never found chlorhexidine staining to be that big of a deal. Maybe it's because I only used it briefly after my apicoectomy? I did notice that rinsing thoroughly with plain water afterward seemed to cut down on the stains quite a bit. Everyone's different though...glad you found something that works for you.
Interesting to hear rinsing with plain water helped reduce the staining for you—I wish I'd known that earlier. Honestly, I was hesitant about chlorhexidine because I'd read about the staining and wasn't eager to spend extra money on teeth whitening afterward. Did anyone else notice sensitivity or irritation from using chlorhexidine regularly? I've been cautious about introducing new products post-surgery and would appreciate hearing others' experiences before trying it myself.
