If you look at your smile in the mirror and see stains on your pearly whites, it can make you self-conscious. Everyone wants to have picture-perfect teeth, but how can you get them? You may hop on social media, do a quick search, and be flooded with do-it-yourself teeth whitening hacks. A popular, common ingredient in these is activated charcoal.

 You might be tempted to run out and buy toothpaste or whitening product with this ingredient, but before you do, read on to learn more about activated charcoal and its potential dangers, as well as why you should consider visiting your dentist for professional teeth whitening instead.