Charcoal Toothpaste, Yes or No?
At Your Community Dental, we are up to date on the hottest dental trends. The latest craze we’ve seen has been about charcoal toothpaste, which boasts the ability to whiten your teeth. Popular with bloggers and social media figures, charcoal toothpaste is the latest fad going around the internet and everyone is itching to try this new whitening technique. However, what a lot of people don’t know is the health risks involved with this black gooey toothpaste.
Using charcoal in toothpaste isn’t exactly a new innovation. Even as far back as Roman times, charcoal was used as an ingredient in toothpastes. Even as recent as the 19th century, charcoal was used by people making homemade toothpaste.
Charcoal toothpaste actually provides very few teeth whitening benefits. If you are considering giving the charcoal toothpaste trend a try, consider other whitening alternatives instead. The American Dental Association warns users that “It might not be noticeable right away, but charcoal toothpaste actually wears down the enamel on your teeth.” Charcoal toothpaste, in reality, is very harsh on your teeth and once the tooth enamel is gone, it won’t come back. Because the tooth enamel is the whitest part of your teeth, this is where the color comes from. The layer underneath the tooth enamel, the dentin, is actually a naturally yellow color. Using charcoal toothpaste will strip away the white tooth enamel and you may end up with teeth more stained than you started with.
Everyone is looking for a whiter and brighter smile and there are several other options out there that are better for your teeth than charcoal toothpaste. There are whitening techniques for everyone and we will help you work with your budget, desired level of whitening, and level of availability. Simply using a whitening toothpaste at home or coming into our office for whitening treatments, we want to give you a smile you are proud of.
To get started, schedule an appointment at Your Community Dental by visiting our website calling our office at 910-342-9210. We will decide on a whitening method is for you and get you on your way to a whiter and brighter smile.