Finding The Best Path To A Bright, White Smile

If you notice some discoloration in your teeth, the likelihood is that you’re not alone. Discoloration and staining are extremely common, since many foods and drinks have pigment that can stain our teeth, and our teeth will also naturally become discolored over time. Despite it being a natural process, we can’t help but want to have a whiter smile, because having a radiant smile is a big self-confidence booster. 

Out of this desire for a whiter smile, more and more methods that claim to whiten teeth continue to emerge, and the one that has continued to gain popularity online is charcoal teeth whitening. While it may seem counterintuitive to rub black stuff all over your teeth if you're hoping to get them whiter, there are many that claim that it can lift stains and leave you with whiter, brighter teeth. Today, your local cosmetic dentistry experts here at Macon Smiles are going to look at this charcoal whitening method in more detail.

How Does Charcoal Whitening Work?

This method is based off using something called “activated charcoal”, which is simply your normal charcoal that has been heated up using gas, which adds oxygen to the charcoal and makes it more porous. By “activating” the charcoal and making it more porous, you enhance the substance’s ability to soak up chemicals. While doctors often use activated charcoal to treat poisons since it can absorb the toxins, many are now applying it to their teeth to absorb the pigment that cause staining and discoloration. 

So does this work? While there are many on social media claiming that they’ve seen results from charcoal whitening, there are no official studies that have been conducted to back it as an approved and effective whitening treatment. The most that dental experts can assume is that the charcoal may be able to life some minor surface stains, but no discoloration that is buried deep in the enamel. In fact, according to the Oral Health Foundation, charcoal whitening can put your teeth at risk, being more dangerous than helpful.

The Dangers Of Charcoal Whitening

When we look at activated charcoal, what you have is a very abrasive material. Since this method requires you to brush this abrasive substance all of your teeth, the likelihood is that you will be wearing away at your enamel. In the long run, you will leave your enamel with a rougher surface, which makes it easier for things like bacteria to stick to the tooth. This can accelerate tooth decay and cause even further discoloration. 

Shifting focus to the dental products available that contain active charcoal, particularly toothpastes, these can put your teeth at greater risk since they typically do not contain any fluoride. If you use these products alone for brushing your teeth, without adding in fluoride somewhere in the process through something like a mouthwash, your teeth are left unprotected due to the lack of essential minerals that you would get from that fluoride.

Charcoal Vs. Professional Whitening

If you really want a brighter smile, trying your hand a charcoal whitening isn’t worth the risk of damaging your teeth more than you could be helping. On top of that, it doesn’t have enough, if any, solid research on it in the professional dental community to confidently back the claims of whitening and its effectiveness for this method. 

Compare that with professional in-office whitening with your local dentist. Not only do you get a treatment method that is proven to be fast, safe, and effective, but you also get the help of a professional who has trained to perform the procedure and has already worked with countless patients to help them whiten their smiles.  With a professional teeth whitening, you get to have that pearly white smile without destroying your enamel, covering your teeth in black gunk, and hoping for the best.

Contact Macon Smiles Today!

If you want that brighter, whiter smile, just contact us at Macon Smiles to schedule an appointment for a professional teeth whitening. If you have any questions about the process for in-office whitening, or what we think about other at-home whitening methods, our team will be happy to get you all the answer you’re looking for. We look forward to transforming your smile, so you can feel more confident and happy whenever you want to show off those beautiful teeth! We proudly offer our teeth whitening services to the families of Macon, GA and the surrounding areas, spreading happiness and making our community a better place, one smile at a time.