It’s likely you’ve heard in recent years about charcoal toothpaste, the black toothpaste that promises a whiter smile. Sales of charcoal toothpastes and powders have rapidly emerged into the Internet marketplace and even into popular retail stores such as Target and WholeFoods, and our age of social media makes it easy for certain ingredients to be crowned the next big thing in oral care.
But what exactly is charcoal toothpaste, and should you use it? This month on the blog we are demystifying everything you've seen on TikTok or heard through the grapevine about charcoal toothpaste!
Activated Charcoal
So what exactly is this black charcoal toothpaste made of?
The type of charcoal used in toothpaste is known as activated charcoal. Activated charcoal is like regular charcoal in that it can come from natural sources such as wood, peat, coconut shell, petroleum, or coal. But the big difference between charcoal and activated charcoal is that during production, activated charcoal is exposed to a special gas causing it to develop large pores. Those pores make the charcoal more absorbent, enabling it to soak up a variety of substances.
This porosity of activated charcoal can help with issues like tooth surface stains, also known as extrinsic stains, can come from different sources such as coffee, red wine, tobacco, and dark-colored foods and drinks. They live on the enamel layer and can often be removed with toothpaste or surface whitening treatments...or activated charcoal!
This concept of using charcoal to clean the teeth isn't exactly new. Did you know that as far back as the ancient Romans, humans have documented using charcoal, tree bark, and other natural "toothpastes" to keep their teeth sparkly clean!
But did you know that a study this year found charcoal toothpaste to be inferior to regular, non-bleaching toothpaste in terms of whitening capacity? And are you aware that when you use charcoal to try to achieve whiter teeth you risk roughening your surface enamel at the same time?
Is charcoal toothpaste safe?
Different studies have been done to examine the effectiveness and safety of charcoal and charcoal-based toothpastes on tooth enamel. Results have varied, with some studies showing increased roughness of tooth enamel and no clinically acceptable whitening performance, while other studies report inconclusive results and recommend further testing.
Quality peer-reviewed research has reported no difference in the whiteness of teeth when brushed with charcoal toothpaste vs regular fluoridated toothpaste, but substantial roughness of enamel is reported with charcoal whereas no statistically significant roughness of tooth structure is noted with regular paste over time.
The American Dental Association has published an opinion that dental clinicians should advise patients to be cautious when using charcoal and charcoal-based toothpastes due to yet unproven claims of efficacy and safety.
Dr. Messina weighs in
There may be benefits to charcoal toothpaste, but at this time none are proven, and as we've covered in this blog post: there may be some real risks to brushing with charcoal. Dr. Messina advises her patients to be cautious when using charcoal toothpaste and, if you are looking to experiment with it, make sure to select a trusted brand which is more likely to incorporate charcoal with a consistency closer to baking soda. And of course, if your charcoal toothpaste doesn't contain fluoride -- consider using a supplemental fluoride rinse to help strengthen your enamel and prevent tooth decay.
We write a blog post every month to keep our patients and our community updated on important dental topics, so be sure to check back here often! And don't forget: we love your questions! We welcome discussion of these blog topics or anything you're curious about. Our patient family is the best part of our practice, and we are grateful for you!