Circumoral dermatitis and cheilitis caused by tartar control dentifrices

Twenty women had similar symptoms and clinical findings related to the use of tartar control toothpaste. Each had burning and itching around the corners of the mouth, followed by pruritic perioral patches of erythema 4 to 14 days later. All patients had begun using tartar control toothpaste 1 to 2 weeks before onset and had brushed their teeth at least three times per day. The typical findings included a moderately severe perioral erythema with fissuring of the angles of the mouth; scaling erythematous patches, separated by normal skin lateral to the initial erythema, were also present. No vesiculation or crusting was noted, and involvement of the gingiva and buccal mucosa was noted in only one case. On discontinuation of the tartar control toothpaste, marked improvement was seen within 1 to 6 weeks with, in most instances, either no treatment or 1% hydrocortisone cream.