Is Charcoal Toothpaste Safe to Use? Activated Charcoal: Secret or Scam?

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If you are an active netizen you all must have seen various products which contain charcoal. Many face masks, face washes and toothpastes are incorporated with activated charcoal. 

Charcoal might not look like something you can use on your face or put inside your mouth, majorly due to its colour and also it does not have a specific taste.

But many of you might know activated charcoal is the buzzy health ingredient of the moment, showing up in everything from supplements to pressed juices to beauty products. And now, it has also made its way to the oral care aisle, which claims to clean and whiten teeth and eliminate bad breath.

Soak up

You may not know this but activated charcoal has been used on the body for thousands of years. You all must have studied in your science class, in school, that charcoal is a good adsorbent. Because it's so porous, activated charcoal is sometimes used in emergency rooms to treat certain kinds of poisoning and overdose—by "soaking up" the poison, charcoal prevents it from being absorbed into the stomach. By this logic, some people believe activated charcoal can also be used to soak up toxins in the body or in this case, stains on the teeth.

Questions?

As the whole world raves about it, you might wanna use it for yourself too. But is it a good idea to use toothpastes that contain activated charcoal? And will the ingredient really whiten and "detox" teeth? Is it really safe and effective? Or are there any side effects to it? And finally, is it even necessary?

Answer:

Activated charcoal is a rebirth of ancient medicine techniques. In ancient times, people used to use ash to clean teeth. In theory, the black sludge binds to everything in its path-stains, tartar, bacteria and viruses (and maybe even your tonsils). As it takes tartar off the teeth, your teeth will get whiter, which is a positive sign, of course, but it may also bind to medications that the body needs to absorb and even bacteria that you need for digestion. And additionally, it just might not work.

What’s a big risk?

A big risk is that non-activated charcoal is extremely dangerous and there isn't proof that all manufacturers are using the correct type of charcoal. The safest way to whiten your teeth is by using a well-tested product. You don’t want to lose the enamel of your teeth and make them weak and sensitive.

What to know before you try charcoal toothpaste?

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If you do decide to use activated charcoal toothpaste, dentists agree that you should do so cautiously and sparingly. Avoid brushing your teeth with charcoal toothpaste daily. Even if it feels totally normal this shouldn't be practiced for longer periods of time. Brush with it no more than once every other week.

It's an abrasive ingredient and frequent use could damage the enamel on your teeth. That's why certain people should avoid activated charcoal toothpaste altogether. 

If you have a lot of recession of gum tissue, the roots of the teeth may become sensitive as a result of roughness of the charcoal toothpastes.

Remember

If you experience symptoms like raw or bleeding gums and an increase in sensitivity, stop using charcoal toothpaste right away and make an appointment with your dentist. This may be caused due to wear and tear of enamel of your teeth

When you lose enamel, teeth get sensitive and darker in colour because you’re close to the part of the tooth that has the depth of the colour. So instead of whitening the toothpaste can be a reason of darkening of teeth and causing permanent damage to dental cavity. Since you can’t grow it back, the only thing you can do is, cover it up with restoration.

So don’t let craze for whiteness take a toll on your already beautiful and healthy smile.

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