Using charcoal as toothpaste has been around for quite some time. Colgate’s website claims that the ancient Romans used it, which was also included in a recipe for toothpaste from the nineteenth century.
Yet, does that mean that charcoal toothpaste is entirely risk-free?
After all, nicotine use has persisted for eons, although we now know it’s harmful to do so.
How does charcoal toothpaste work?
To begin, let’s define activated charcoal, the primary component.
At very high temperatures, activated charcoal is produced by oxidizing various natural substances, such as wood, bone char, coconut shells, and others. Activating regular cooking charcoal transforms it into more porous activated charcoal with medical and aesthetic applications.
Its black powder is known for cleaning messes, drawing dirt and grime to it as a magnet draws in toxic metals. It’s used to treat poisonings and drug overdoses, and it’s also used to filter water.
This activated component is found in charcoal toothpaste, which has been lauded for its purported ability to kill harmful microorganisms in the mouth and eliminate toxins.
Do teeth get whiter if you use charcoal toothpaste?
Charcoal toothpaste is promoted as a harmless replacement for harsher whitening options like those containing peroxide. Could that possibly be false?
The dental care in Midtown, NY, would like to set the record straight:
Teeth will NOT be whitened by using charcoal toothpaste.
It can eliminate the superficial stains that have been set into your enamel. Coffee, alcohol, tea, dark meals, and smoke can cause superficial stains. These superficial stains can be eliminated by using an ADA-approved whitening toothpaste.
But charcoal toothpaste cannot eliminate discoloration and stains from underneath the enamel’s surface.
The dentin layer sits beneath the enamel. This is where most of the color in your teeth originates, and it’s also why charcoal toothpaste won’t work to whiten them.
As a result, you need to get beyond the enamel’s surface if you want your teeth to be whitened and not just remove the stains on the surface. The result will be a whiter, longer-lasting grin.
Is there any danger to your teeth?
The question of whether or not charcoal toothpaste is safe to use now eclipses the question of whether or not it whitens your teeth.
What our dentists in Manhattan’s Midtown area know
Put bluntly, toothpaste made with charcoal is rough on your teeth.
The enamel on your teeth might be irreparably damaged by using it too frequently or brushing too vigorously.
When enamel is lost, the dentin layer beneath it becomes more visible and can be colonized by bacteria. Because of its darker color, dentin can make your teeth look yellower after you whiten them.