What are the characteristics of activated carbon for teeth whitening

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In the study of activated charcoal and charcoal-based dentifrices, they were in charge of selecting the first 50 products based on activated carbon for the teeth, in order to determine the benefits or characteristics they offer.

Of these 50 products only 39 published the ingredients with which they were manufactured, which we will mention below:

8% of the products contained fluorine
96% promote teeth whitening
88% are considered organic, herbal, natural, organic or pure
46% contain detoxifying properties
44% of the products were advertised as antibacterial or antiseptic
30% have the ability to re-mineralize or strengthen the teeth
28% say they are soft or little abrasive for tooth enamel
5% had some professional dental endorsement

Table of Contents

How to use activated carbon for your teeth?

The use of activated carbon in the teeth is quite simple and does not require specialized or complex techniques to use it, you should only:

Moisten a toothbrush.
Immerse the toothbrush in the activated carbon powder (with a thin layer is sufficient).
Brush the teeth gently for a period of 2-3 minutes (this varies depending on the indications of the product).
Brush thoroughly again with water, to remove the remains of the dust.
One recommendation is that the toothbrush you use is different from the one you use daily for your hygiene

Dental, because the one you use with the charcoal will tend to blacken and it will be almost impossible for you to eliminate it completely.

Is it safe?

Yes. It is even safe to swallow small amounts of activated carbon. In fact, it is used to treat cases of poisoning since it is good to absorb toxins before they enter the bloodstream.

Active charcoal is also on the list of essential medicines of the World Health Organization, specifically in the section on ‘Antidotes and other substances used in poisoning’. So there should be no doubt about your safety.

Activated carbon for teeth whitening is also used in a large number of everyday products and processes such as water filters and decaffeination of coffee. You probably use it every day and even if you’ve noticed.

But as we saw in the studies found, the use of activated charcoal in the teeth is not very well seen by specialists and here we leave the risks that they consider has its use:

There is no scientific evidence of its effectiveness as a dental whitener.
It is abrasive, so you can expose the dentine to wear the tooth enamel.
Its continuous use can deteriorate the enamel, which is the protective layer of the teeth and this can lead to a loss of minerals.
It can stain the black fillings, so the result would be just the opposite of what was sought with its use.
The gums could get darker, since the carbon gets into all the corners of your mouth and it is not always easy to eliminate all your remains.
Changing the pH of the saliva increases the risk of infections due to the proliferation of bacteria, and as a consequence instead of whitening the teeth, they could stain.