Anaida Deti, owner and CEO of DentalX, and a registered dental hygienist explains how charcoal toothpaste can potentially cause more damage to your oral health, than good.
It’s in our shampoo, facial masks and even bars of soap and thanks to our obsession with health trends and celebrities doing their part in showing-off the latest all-natural magical remedies, Activated Charcoal has resurfaced again; this time in the form of toothpaste with the promise of giving you a smile that’s Hollywood-worthy—only this new trend is more like a tabloid rumour.
Although Activated Charcoal is known for it’s incredible benefits—it’s been touted as everything from being a poison and toxin remedy, to helping detoxify your skin, and even offering bug bite relief, registered dental hygienist Anaida Deti says that using Activated Charcoal toothpaste can do more harm than good and advises her patients against following this new trend because of the potential damaging side effects.
“It can definitely eat-away at your tooth enamel.” says Anaida, “Because Activated Charcoal is so porous in its form, the gritty charcoal particles can wear-down tooth enamel, essentially leaving your teeth a grey-ish colour.”
If you’re looking for a more natural method of keeping your teeth clean and pearly-white, Anaida suggests trying the following:
- Swish with oil: Oil pulling is an ancient Indian remedy meant to improve oral hygiene and remove toxins by swishing oil around your mouth to remove bacteria and plaque. Coconut Oil is recommended as since it not only has a pleasant taste, but also slew of other health benefits.
- Crunch the plaque away: Although they should never replace your toothbrush or floss, munching on crunchy fruits and vegetables help to rub plaque off your teeth and keep them looking their best.
- Brush with Baking Soda: not just for cupcakes! Baking Soda is a great cleaning agent, especially when paired with toothpaste. Baking soda is a mild abrasive that not only help scrub away surface teeth stains, but also creates an alkaline environment in your mouth which prevents bacteria from growing.
- Whiten with Apple Cider Vinegar: For centuries, ACV has been used as a disinfectant and cleaning agent and is known to kill oral bacteria as well has help whiten your teeth. Due to the acidity level in ACV, it’s important to only brush with it 1-2 times a week, and if you use it as a mouth wash to make sure and dilute it with water.
Alternatively, there are professional in-clinic teeth whitening procedures. You can see immediate results up to eight shades with just one procedure. Contact DentalX for more information.