Has anyone heard… Activated charcoal is supposed to make your teeth dramatically whiter. Have you ever tried it? We’re here to talk about activated charcoal and give you the complete lowdown. Is it a good idea or bad idea?
It should be noted that no official studies have shown activated charcoal helps whiten your teeth. This blog is simply to talk about the idea of using activated charcoal, how it works and what it means. We don’t advocate for using activated charcoal instead of going to a professional, but have fun reading and debunking this urban legend.
What Is Activated Charcoal?
Charcoal is made from a mixture of coal, wood and other substances. Please be aware that using regular charcoal is not a good idea, it has to be activated charcoal. It becomes activated charcoal when high temperatures combine with a gas or activating agent to expand the surface area of regular charcoal.
Activated charcoal has a lot of properties that can be used for a wide variety of applications, such as poison control, overdose cases and it has even been said to prevent hangovers.
How Does Activated Charcoal Help Whiten My Teeth?
Activated charcoal works by a process called absorption. Absorption works by bringing out the impurities of an object, in this case your teeth.
The enamel of your teeth can become very stained from day to day life. Activated charcoal is supposed to be able to bring out the dirt and grime in your enamel from the absorption process. There are a few major things that can stain your teeth. Some of the culprits include tea, red wine, coffee, dark chocolate and dark sodas.
How Do I Use Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal can be found at your local drug store. Mix the activated charcoal with a small amount of water. After this, simply brush your teeth, especially the areas you want whitened, with the activated charcoal. Spit the charcoal mix out when you’re done.
Check out these articles from others who used activated charcoal and wrote about their experiences:
Marie Claire
Once again, we want to state that this technique for teeth-whitening hasn’t been proven or widely studied. If you want to keep your teeth happy and healthy, consider adjusting your diet and contact Daxon Dentistry for a teeth cleaning.
Contact Daxon Dentistry Today
If using activated charcoal isn’t for you, then contact us for a regular teeth-whitening or preventive checkup. We are happy to help you with any of your dental needs. As prosthodontists, we are able to replace and restore teeth, perform regular checkups as well as provide you with a number of different options to improve your oral health. Contact us today over the phone or through our website.