Charcoal Whitening

We’ve all seen the video on social media.  A mom brushing her teeth until they turn black and then rinsing that black charcoal off.  She then claims her teeth are whiter.  So what is charcoal whitening and does it work?

Activated charcoal has been used in medical settings for a while now.  It is highly absorbent and will trap chemicals.  In fact, hospitals have it on hand and use it on poisoning cases, because it will absorb the poison and be eliminated from the body without absorption. 

The "reasoning" behind using it to whiten your teeth follows the same pattern.  Advocates claim, the charcoal will absorb the plaque bacteria, food particles and staining.  Then, your body will rid itself of that and leave behind a whiter smile. 

The “science” behind that is weak.  Yes, the charcoal will attach itself to particles found on the tooth’s surface.   In doing so, it may remove surface staining, but it can’t reach the inner layer of the tooth.  That inner layer is where whitening is done; from the inside, out. 

Here’s how internal or intrinsic stain and whitening works:

Enamel is porous.  Those pores catch stain and it settles in the layer beneath the enamel.  These pores are microscopic.  Once this occurs, no brush or anything topical (toothpaste or charcoal) will remove the stain.  Toothpaste and charcoal particles are too large to fit into the tiny pores to do anything to whiten the stain residing at the base of the pore.

To whiten, you need a chemical reaction.  A type of peroxide when applied to the tooth oxidizes the stain and breaks it apart, saliva then washes it away, leaving the teeth stain free from the inside out.  Without that stain, teeth are brighter.  Charcoal will not whiten your teeth.

As a dental professional I wouldn’t use charcoal in my mouth at all because:

• ·         It’s super abrasive and may damage the tooth enamel if brushed on.  Enamel will never come back once it’s gone
• ·         Damaged enamel may leave teeth sensitive
• ·         The American Dental Association hasn’t done any research or studies on charcoal used in the oral cavity.  I like science based facts when I recommend something to someone
• ·         Users and dental professionals have no idea how severe charcoal is to the teeth, so it may leave teeth blotchy, stained or worse, damaged
• ·         Because it’s so abrasive, it may harm the soft gum tissue
•       Charcoal will not whiten teeth