Charcoal Toothpaste - Good or Bad? 🤔 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙪𝙩!

If you are looking for ways to keep your teeth bright and shiny and your mouth as clean as possible, then you may have stumbled across the trend of charcoal toothpaste. If you are wondering whether or not it's a good idea to use charcoal-based products, then you've come to the right place! Access Dental and Dentures has the best dentists in southern Missouri, and we are here to help you stay healthy and make the best choices for your dental health.

What is Charcoal Toothpaste?

Charcoal toothpaste is composed of activated charcoal - not the charcoal you use for grilling your brats and burgers. Activated charcoal is produced by applying extreme heat or a chemical activation process to substances like wood, coconut shells, and other natural materials. This process oxidizes the materials, turning them into a fine carbon powder and changing their internal structure to be more porous.

Before making its way into the beauty and food industries, activated charcoal was (and still is) used on ambulances. Because of its adsorptive properties, it is used on patients who have ingested poison. These same adsorptive properties are the reason the charcoal craze made its way into toothpaste.

Potential Concerns about Charcoal Toothpaste

While charcoal toothpaste is helpful in removing surface stains, it cannot remove internal stains from your teeth like a professional whitening service.

• Abrasive - The fine grains of carbon in charcoal toothpaste can be highly abrasive to your teeth. This can start to erode your enamel and threaten the health of your teeth. As your enamel erodes, the deeper dentin is exposed and can cause tooth sensitivity and decay.
  
• No Fluoride - Charcoal toothpaste typically does not contain the recommended amount of fluoride, so it cannot help strengthen your teeth as well as traditional toothpaste.
  
• Inflammation - Lastly, the charcoal toothpaste may settle in between your teeth and aggravate your gums, causing inflammation.

Charcoal Toothpaste’s Possible Benefits

We’ve talked about the “adsorptive properties” of charcoal toothpaste. You may be wondering, “What does that mean? Don’t you mean absorbing?” The more common word “absorb” is used to describe a substance being dissolved. However, “adsorb” describes what is happening when one material causes another to adhere to its surface. This is what happens with activated charcoal.

• Binds to Plaque - Charcoal toothpaste binds to loose organic materials on your teeth – like plaque and surface stains. Then when it is rinsed away, those materials are washed away along with the toothpaste.
  
• Balances Acidity - It can also bind to and remove acidic compounds that could be harming your teeth and causing bad breath.

Consult the Professionals at Access Dental

Charcoal products are very popular right now, and even though charcoal toothpaste may help remove plaque and surface stains, there may be safer and more effective options. Set up an appointment with Access Dental – the best dentists in the Springfield area! – for a personal consultation on how to best care for your individual oral health needs.

We want to be your dentist because your family deserves a great smile! 

1-877-DENTIST

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