Charcoal toothpaste is among one of the most trendy topics within dentistry today. Activated charcoal has emerged as a dazzling newcomer, promising a gleaming smile with its unique abrasive prowess. No longer confined to the back shelves of health food stores, charcoal toothpaste now graces bathroom countertops worldwide, marketing itself as a cost-effective alternative to professional teeth whitening.
This article dives into the science of charcoal toothpastes to provide clarity and insight behind one of the most popular teeth-whitening methods today.
1: The History of Using Charcoal in the Mouth
It might not be a surprise that charcoal toothpaste is regaining popularity, but where did the trend first start? Historical research finds the first ever use of charcoal dating back to Hippocrates in ancient Greece. From the shores of the Mediterranean, the practice of charcoal tooth brushing embarked on a global odyssey, traversing continents, and cultures from Italy to the markets of Bangladesh. Armed with nothing but chewing sticks or cloth and a sprinkle of powdered charcoal, our ancestors concocted their own unique blends enriched with botanicals and flavoring agents to banish bad breath and brighten smiles. The use of charcoal-based preparations stemmed from the ability of roughly ground charcoal to abrade stains and other deposits on teeth. Additionally, it absorbs large quantities of noxious substances, including exudates from diseased gums.
Today, charcoal toothpaste undergoes a transformation into a fine powder of activated charcoal through the alchemy of controlled reheating. It harnesses the carbon-rich bounty of nutshells, coconut husks, bamboo, and peat. But before splurging on a lifetimes’ supply of charcoal toothpaste, have you ever wondered just how effective it really is?
2: Scientific Evidence Addressing the Effectiveness of Charcoal Toothpaste
Studies looking at how well charcoal toothpaste whitens teeth compared to other whitening pastes have found that activated charcoal may not be the most efficient whitening agent and could possibly even harm your enamel. This is because charcoal, as opposed to common bleaching agents like hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, isn’t a chemical whitening agent like peroxide bleaches—instead, it removes surface stains by being highly abrasive. Think of it like scratching dirt off the surface of a white shirt… it’s probably not the most efficient way to get the shirt white again, and if you scratch too hard, you could even do damage to the shirt itself (which in this case is your tooth’s enamel).
In order to test the effectiveness of charcoal toothpaste, a study used a coffee solution made up of 600cc of water and 150gr of soluble coffee for 5 days at 37ºC as a tinction for the treatment group. The brushing protocol included a brushing machine that stimulated 3 times a day for a month and a half.
The results from this study found that activated charcoal with the highest concentration, 30%, had the greatest whitening effect. However, the results also show that a 16% carbamide peroxide whitening treatment was also very successful, and ultimately concluded that the whitening effect of activated charcoal is less effective than that of other toothpastes containing hydrogen peroxide or carbamide due to concentration. Additionally, the study concluded that activated charcoal-based toothpaste has a high abrasive potential that could be detrimental to our teeth, especially in comparison to other whitening agent toothpastes.
Another experiment comparing activated charcoal powder, activated charcoal toothpaste, regular fluoridated toothpaste, and a 10% carbamide peroxide found volunteers to self-report activated charcoal powder to be the least comfortable to use, as well as producing the least whitening amongst the rest of the groups. What’s the takeaway? When it comes to whitening, charcoal toothpaste might not be the star we once believed it to be.
3: Charcoal Toothpaste and Its Effects on Surface Roughness of Teeth
Lots of research has found the prolonged use of charcoal toothpaste to exact a toll on the surface smoothness of our teeth. By measuring tooth surface roughness before and after the use of charcoal toothpaste, scientists found that with each brushstroke, the surface roughness of teeth underwent a dramatic transformation, with greater effects than previously assumed.
The bottom line? Charcoal toothpaste may promise dazzling results, but the abrasive effects to achieve those results are very real and potentially damaging. The whitening effects of charcoal toothpaste are likely not worth the abrasiveness.
4: Addressing the Safety and Health Risks of Charcoal Toothpaste
Overall, the health benefits of charcoal toothpaste are also very limited. A study on the possible health benefits of charcoal toothpaste found that there was insufficient clinical and laboratory data to substantiate the safety and efficacy claims of charcoal-based dentifrices. However, a handful of studies going against this research have argued that charcoal-based toothpastes with fluoride might provide protection against surface loss. More research is definitely needed on the topic.
Our take: the long-term use of charcoal toothpastes has the potential to erode enamel, which paves the way for numerous dental issues in the long-term.
5: Conclusion
As trendy as it may be, charcoal toothpaste might not be the hero it claims to be. Although there is evidence of whitening effects, the potential consequences of its abrasiveness make the risk greater than the reward. While the occasional use of charcoal toothpaste may be fine, its best to be safe and use less-abrasive alternatives. Your smile— and your teeth—will thank you in the long run.
