Is Charcoal Toothpaste Just A Passing Fad?
Charcoal is one of the most popular ingredients in cosmetics today due to its powerful health benefits and versatility. It has several benefits for the skin, but did you know many people swear by its ability to whiten teeth? Today, we will explore some of the pros and cons of charcoal toothpaste so you may determine if it should be part of oral hygiene habits going forward.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of Using Charcoal Toothpaste?
The charcoal that is used in toothpaste is a fine powdery substance that includes wood or shells and is oxidized under high temperatures. There are a number of benefits as well as pitfalls when it comes to using charcoal toothpaste.
The Benefits Of Charcoal Toothpaste
So far, there are only a few real known benefits to using a charcoal toothpaste.
- Helps improve bad breath
- It is very effective at removing stains on teeth
- Might help postpone staining on teeth when used intermittenently after professional teeth cleaning during one of your routine dental exam.
The Downside To Charcoal Toothpaste
The cons of using a charcoal toothpaste include:
- It could stain older teeth and dental restorations such as veneers, bridges, crowns, fillings and dental implants.
- Might increase tooth sensititivity
- This type of toothpaste is not known to remove stains below the enamel
- Due to its abrasiveness, it may wear down the enamel and cause your teeth to turn yellow
- Many types of toothpaste that include charcoal don’t have flouride, which is key in preventing cavities and tooth decay
- Long term effects are still unknown
Is Charcoal Toothpaste Safe To Use?
As mentioned, more research is needed to prove the long term effects of charcoal based toothpastes. Government research appears wary of these types of toothpastes and warn dentists to be cautious is recommending them due to several companies promoting unfounded claims about its benefits.
If you are considering making a switch to charcoal based toothpaste, keep the following points in mind:
- Charcoal may actually cause staining on teeth. Microscopic charcoal particles could build up in the tiny cracks and crevices that exist on the surface of everyone’s teeth.
- Most brands of charcoal based toothpaste do not contain flouride. Flouride is an important substance designed to protect the enamel of your teeth and prevent tooth decay. Some newer research even suggests a link between charcoal and tooth decay.
- Charcoal toothpaste is just too abrasive for everyday use. Under the enamel of your teeth is a yellow calcified substance called the dentin. Using an abrasive substance on your teeth may wear donw the white enamel and expose the dentin, which can cause your teeth to appear yellow, not to mention make your teeth more sensitive.
- Charcoal’s effect on dental restoration in unknown. More study has to be perfomed on the effect of charcoal particles on restorative work such as implants, veneers, crowns and fillings. In some rare cases, charcoal may build up in between dental work and cause dark outlines.
Does Charcoal Toothpaste Whiten Teeth?
Charcoal acts as a mild abrasive and has been known to be effective at removing certain kinds of stains. It also has the ability to absorb some stain causing particles from the surface of the teeth.
However, there is no evidence available demonstrating that charcoal can remove stains below the enamel or that there is any kind of teeth whitening benefit whatsoever.
In order to whiten teeth a product or substance must have the ability not only remove stains on the surface of the teeth but must also be able to penetrate and remove stains below the enamel.
There are, certainly, a few benefits to using a charcaol based toothpaste. Teeth whitening, unfortunately, is not one of them.
The Bottom Line On Charcoal Toothpaste
We know charcoal toothpaste has been getting lots of coverage in the press, when it comes down to it, it really isn’t more effective than other toothpastes or at home teeth whitening kits.
Brushing your teeth is the foundation to good oral hygeine and any brushing is better than none, even with charcoal. While charcaol may help with remnoving some types of surface stains, the studies on it’s long term use are limited.
If you have questions about what toothpaste to use, please call The Dental and Denture Care Center at (352) 848-1050 or contact us through our website here to ask your questions. Our team of dental experts are here to give you the best smile of your life and we are here to help.
