Does Charcoal Toothpaste Really Work?

If you think brushing your teeth with charcoal toothpaste sounds disgusting, you’re not alone. However, activated charcoal is a very popular product being used in all types of beauty products from facial masks to dietary supplements and even to yes, toothpastes.

At Davidson Dental Group, we’re often asked if charcoal toothpaste works, if it will whiten your teeth and if it is safe, so we thought we’d give you all of the facts.

What Is Charcoal Toothpaste?

Activated charcoal is a highly porous substance made from things like coal, wood, and coconut shells. The end product is able to adsorb a variety of things, but does it really make your teeth whiter?

Does Charcoal Toothpaste Work?

Scrubbing charcoal, a highly abrasive substance, against your teeth can aid in removing some exterior staining. You might notice a slight improvement in the color of your teeth but it’s not the best way to get those pearly whites clean and white.

Almost every patient wants to have a brighter, whiter smile. Showing off a beautiful smile not only makes you feel confident but research shows that it helps you to be perceived as more attractive. The best ways to have whiter teeth is to get in-office ZOOM Teeth Whitening.

But Is Charcoal Toothpaste Safe?

There’s no formal research that shows activated charcoal actually whitens teeth. However, activated charcoal has been FDA-approved for many other health uses. We have a couple of precautions for patients using charcoal toothpaste:

• Many charcoal toothpastes don’t contain fluoride which is something we encourage all patients to use in order to prevent dental caries.
• The abrasive nature of charcoal could in fact damage your tooth’s enamel or even worse – cause staining in the tiny cracks in your teeth. This is the exact opposite of what you’re trying to achieve.

If you’re interested in learning more about teeth whitening, please give our office a call at (510) 352-9212 or just send us a quick email.