I have been asked many times about charcoal toothpaste so I have decided to give my take on this. Charcoal is a substance that has adsorption qualities in that it pulls substances into it. This is the reason it is used by emergency rooms to treat poisoning or drug overdose victims. In dentistry, companies have been promoting charcoal toothpastes to whiten teeth and pull-out toxic minerals. The way it whitens teeth is strictly surface based and does not penetrate the enamel like peroxide-based formulas, but rather due to its abrasive nature removing stains. The problem with this is that long term use will thin out the enamel and thus make the teeth appear yellower as the enamel thins out. Since charcoal toothpaste is black in nature it can sometimes get into fine surface cracks in teeth or junctions where white bonding restorations meet the surface of the teeth and appear as dark lines over time.
Since it has been shown that its adsorption qualities have no benefits to people’s teeth and the issue with the thinning of enamel over time, the ADA does not recommend or approve them. Another issue we see is that they can draw out surface fluoride from the enamel, thus weakening thus making it more susceptible to decay. It is for these reasons that I do not recommend them to our patients.
(The information contained in this article is strictly for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the professional knowledge or advice of your personal dentist.)
