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.

What is Activated Charcoal?

The charcoal in these DIY whitening tricks is different from the kind you may use on a grill or draw with. They are similar in that they can be made from the same materials, such as coconut shells, wood, and peat. However, it becomes activated charcoal when it is a fine powder that has been oxidized under extreme heat.

This process makes it absorbent, allowing it to bind with toxins and odors. This property of activated charcoal has made it popular to add to products like facial masks and shampoos. But does it have any effect on dental products?

Do Store-Bought Products with Activated Charcoal Work?

There are two types of stains on your teeth: intrinsic and extrinsic. The first is discoloration that lies on the second layer of your tooth, the dentin. The latter is stains on the surface of your enamel. Since activated charcoal is a fine powder, it is abrasive. That means that it can remove surface stains, leaving you with a smile that is one or two shades brighter. However, there are some risks to using these products.

Overuse of charcoal toothpaste can thin your enamel. The more you use them, the quicker you wear down the top layer of your teeth until it shows the dentin underneath. Since the dentin layer itself isn’t white, revealing this second layer can cause your teeth to appear gray or yellow.

More concerningly, your teeth are likely to feel very sensitive since the dentin has tubules that extend down to the tooth’s nerve. While you may enjoy brighter teeth for a little bit, using activated charcoal can cause severe tooth sensitivity, weaken your teeth, and potentially even discolor them more. What’s more, enamel does not grow back on its own, meaning that the damage caused by activated charcoal can be permanent. In the end, this DIY teeth whitening trick can actually harm your pearly whites more than lighten them.

How Can I Safely Whiten My Teeth?

The best way to get the whiter smile you want is to receive a professional whitening treatment! Whether you do take-home or in-office service, your dentist uses a highly concentrated bleaching agent that seeps down into the tooth to break up stains without scratching away the enamel. These treatments also yield more noticeable results thanks to their specially designed ingredients! In-office teeth whitening can leave you with a dramatic transformation in just one visit, whereas at-home professional whitening may take about two weeks.

If stains on your teeth are bothering you, steer clear of DIY whitening hacks. Activated charcoal can lighten your smile by a couple of shades, but it can harm your pearly whites when not used properly. Talk to your dentist about their teeth whitening services to get a brighter smile safely!

About the Practice

At Fort Dental, you benefit from a team of dentists with more than 40 years of combined experience. We offer a wide range of services, including professional teeth whitening. We understand how a bright smile can boost your confidence, so we help you achieve it while ensuring your oral health is in excellent shape. If you want to brighten your pearly whites, schedule an appointment or call us at (817) 292-5957.