You might have heard or seen promotions about charcoal-based toothpaste. The product has become a worldwide health trend that supposedly whitens your teeth. Dentists in London, England, and the rest of the UK, however, have published a warning that charcoal toothpaste might be too good to be true. Instead, for teeth whitening, you can turn to regular whitening toothpaste, whitening kits, or dental whitening.
Charcoal-activated Products
Manufacturers create activated charcoal by heating materials abundant in carbon, such as coconut shells, sawdust, wood, and peat. The resulting product has been historically utilized to reduce stomach issues. Today, companies have infused activated charcoal in numerous products ranging from skincare to food to dental products, advertising them for their supposed health benefits. As for the dental products, charcoal toothpaste boasts their claimed ability to whiten teeth, as well as to treat infection and bad breath.
Charcoal Lacks Scientific Backing
Contrary to that claim, however, dentists say that the products might harm your teeth. Through a publication in the British Dental Journal, the teeth experts explain how activated charcoal has no reliable scientific research backing its claims. Charcoal toothpaste, in particular, can be abrasive enough to scrape away the protective enamel of your teeth.
Dental professionals in the United States also aired the same sentiments. In a Journal of American Dental Association review in 2017, the experts stated how the lack of scientific and laboratory data belie the claims of charcoal toothpaste. These kinds of toothpaste lack fluoride as well, which can make your teeth deteriorate faster.
Whitening Alternatives to Charcoal
You can keep your distance from charcoal toothpaste for now, but if you still want to whiten your teeth, you can instead follow the more conventional procedures. Your choices include whitening kits, strips, pens, and toothpaste, and the clinical process. Whitening kits, strips, pens, and toothpaste abound at low prices with varying degrees of success.
Best Whitening Options
Clinical whitening procedures, on the other hand, have glaring and long-lasting effects. You can either undergo laser whitening, zoom whitening, or bleaching. In laser whitening, your dental professional will use lasers to whiten your teeth, completing the entire process in one visit. You will have to pay a premium for it, and you might experience some teeth sensitivity after the procedure.
In zoom whitening, your dental professional uses LED lights instead of lasers, and a whitening agent is applied to your teeth. You experience less sensitivity after this procedure, but you will have to return for about four sessions to completely whiten your teeth. Each session can last anywhere around 45 to 60 minutes.
Lastly, in bleaching, your dental professional will apply the tooth whitening gel to your teeth. Once used, you can go home and let the gel do its work. How long the treatment will take and other details regarding the procedure will depend on what kind of bleaching option your dental professional offers.
Replace Charcoal with True Whitening
Charcoal toothpaste might be more harmful than beneficial to your teeth. You can then instead turn to professional whitening procedures to truly whiten your teeth and for long periods. Make good use of your time now and ask an expert.
