Are Charcoal Toothpastes Better?

Charcoal Toothpaste is making a lot of noise in the dental care market. With the very many variants of kinds of toothpaste, charcoal is the trending one. It is present not just in oral care products but also in skin and hair care. It is believed to be a magical ingredient that helps in removing stains on the teeth and keeps bad breath at bay. It is an age-old dental care product.

Most companies claim that the charcoal toothpaste in the market is a product that carries the best of both worlds. This has worked well for companies and drew a lot of attention.

What is Activated Charcoal?

Activated Charcoal is made using peat, wood, coconut shells, and other natural substances. It is a fine-grain powder that is oxidized at high temperatures. It has small pores which have the ability to absorb toxins and chemicals. These properties of this activated charcoal made it popular. It is even packaged and sold for customized usage and consumption.

Is Activated Charcoal a safe ingredient?

Though activated charcoal is believed to be great for oral health, many studies support it. There is no clear evidence of the long-term effects of this substance and its whitening properties. Any whitening product needs to remove stains on the teeth and also stains below the enamel coating on the teeth. Activated charcoal does not meet these criteria and hence calls for further research.

The abrasive texture of the charcoal can also erode the enamel coating on the teeth on prolonged usage. Due to these concerns dentists are hesitant to recommend these products. As matters stand, limited usage of charcoal is advised for whitening.

However, If you considering charcoal toothpaste, here are a few things to know about the very nature of the ingredient:

Staining of teeth: Charcoal when used on the teeth can get stuck in the cracks and might even color them grey or black. This can be counterproductive.
Over usage: Charcoal is abrasive in nature and hence can cause erosion on the enamel coating. This leads to exposure of the yellow tissue called the dentin and makes the teeth appear yellow in color. It can also cause tooth sensitivity.
Absence of Fluoride: Most charcoal toothpastes do not have fluoride in them. It is an important ingredient to reduce the chances of tooth decay.
Not enough evidence: Charcoal as an ingredient in dental products has not enough backing evidence. The long-term effects of this substance are still unknown and thus make things quite unsure.

Wrap Up

For the above-mentioned reasons, many dentists suggest limited usage of charcoal-based products. There are many other over-the-counter whitening products and treatments that are safe and recommended by dentists.

Thus, it is always advisable to consider products and treatments prescribed by the dentist.