What is Activated Charcoal Teeth Whitening and Where to Buy it in the US?

If you have recently goggled natural ways to whiten your teeth, chances are you probably stumbled upon a little something called ‘activated charcoal’.  It’s all the rage among beauty gurus. You see people posting photos with their teeth covered in black soot on all kinds of social media platforms. You Tubers in particular seem to be the biggest advocates of this latest trend. So, what is the deal with it? What exactly is activated charcoal? Does it actually help to whiten the teeth?  Is it effective or a total scam? In what forms is it available and where can you buy it? This post answers all such questions:-  

 

What is Activated Charcoal?  

You can’t use just any charcoal for whitening your teeth. Therefore, don’t just run out to the grocery store pick anything that say charcoal because its usage goes way beyond just oral healthcare. You have to go with ‘activated’ charcoal. Basically, it’s the charcoal obtained from the fibrous coating of coconut and made to go through activating agents. The surface area of regular charcoal is exposed through a bunch of gases and heat which opens up millions of pores on the surface – giving it the miraculous sponge-like ability to soak up toxins and basically anything it comes in contact with. That’s why when it comes in contact with the debris, plaque and all the bad stuff on your teeth, it zaps it like a magnet – leaving behind pearly whites. What’s more, the activation process gives charcoal a grainy, abrasive texture with further works to scrape off any tannin (the stuff that gives teeth black or yellow hue) on the teeth.   

How Does It Whiten the Teeth?  

Let’s preface things by saying that activated charcoal doesn’t actually whiten the teeth in true technicality. But, hold on – don’t give up just yet. It doesn’t whiten the teeth BUT it does scrape-off stuff that’s making your teeth look yellow or black. And when you remove that unwanted layer of debris and plaque lying around – you do notice a visible difference after using activated charcoal. When you rub activated charcoal against your teeth – its surface (which we already discussed is like a sponge with amazing suction capacity) locks all the toxins and throw them out. The abrasiveness nature works like a scrubber for teeth.  

What Do the Experts Say About Activated Charcoal?  

Although there is no official research on the efficiency of activated charcoal in dental care, a lot of dentists have spoken great things about it. Joseph Banker example told Prevention that it did look like the activated charcoal made his teeth whiter.   

History of Activated Charcoal and Teeth Whitening  

Activated Charcoal may sound like a novelty, but it has had a significant place in the healthcare arena for centuries. FDA has already approved activated charcoal food products that supposedly control toxicity, help fight inflammation, etc. It’s no wonder that we’re still figuring out new and useful ways of using charcoal which now oral healthcare industry is beginning to see.  

In What Forms Is Activated Charcoal for Teeth Whitening Available? 

Activated charcoal is mostly available in powdered form. But, many stores also sell it like toothpaste.

How to Use It? 

There’s really no special technicality to how you can use it. The process is rather simple. You can the charcoal powder in a bowl, grab a brush specifically for using charcoal, wet it, dab it in the powder and brush your teeth gently for about five minutes. After that – carefully spit it out. Make sure not to dirty your clothes because it can be a little hard to get rid of. Use baby wipes to clean the sink if you can’t get rid of it. Remember to rinse multiple times if you can’t seem to get rid of it. Some people like to make a paste first instead of directly dabbing the brush on the powder. They take some water like a spoonful, add it to powder and make a paste. They then use as regular toothpaste. It’s really up to you, how you want to use it. It will work fine either way.    

 Where to Buy It in the US?

You should not face any difficulty in buying activated charcoal products especially, for teeth whitening. There are both offline and online stores that now sell activated charcoal products like powders, gels, and toothpaste. Actinera, for example, is a good place to start browsing for activated charcoal online. It’s important to go with a certified vendor whose products have received good customer reviews.    

A Word of Caution 

There are some doctors who suggest not using activated charcoal for more than five days in a row. Then are some anecdotal studies that says using it once every week or two. The point is, it’s not made for everyday use. You use it a couple of times and then you wait for a certain period before using it again. Read the product label carefully to find usage instructions:- Reason being – activated charcoal is a strong absorbent and also abrasive. So, overusing or abusing it may zap away calcium off of your teeth and it may also affect the enamel. Therefore, be sure to use it carefully.