Ever wanted to try activated charcoal toothpaste or powder but thought “I don’t know the first thing about it”?
Here are 5 questions to ask yourself before you take the plunge:
1.What am I trying to achieve by using activated charcoal powder or toothpaste?
Activated charcoal toothpaste is not a cure-all solution for whitening your teeth. There are plenty of supporters who rave about how activated charcoal powder or toothpaste has removed tea, coffee and wine stains from their teeth. However not everyone has perfectly white teeth so you may not get a mouth of super white teeth if your natural tooth colour is more ivory. The change you see may not come over night. Have realistic expectations about what you are trying to achieve.
2. What else is in activated charcoal toothpaste?
If you are using activated charcoal powder you are working with AC in its most natural form. If you want to consider a toothpaste the product will contain activated charcoal and other ingredients. Have a good look at the list of ingredients in the toothpaste. Make sure you are OK with each of those ingredients. Research them if you are unsure of any ingredients listed.
3. Can I trust myself with a messy black powder that has the potential to wage a stain storm in my bathroom?
Bench tops, towels, clothing – you name it, can be stained with activated charcoal. If you are usually half asleep in the morning and/or stumble into bed at night, maybe you cannot be trusted with activated charcoal powder in your bathroom! For those of you who are fresh as a daisy in the morning and spritely in the evening, activated charcoal powder shouldn’t be a problem for you. Clear the area of anything you don’t want stained or risk crying over a black stain on your favorite towel (as a side note, if you have a favourite towel you may well need to take a good hard look at yourself). Any residue in the sink of your bathroom should be easily removed with a little water.
4. Will the activated charcoal toothpaste stain my braces, crowns, veneers and fillings?
Yep. It’s possible. If you’re sporting some added non-natural extras to your mouth, you may want to think twice about using an activated charcoal powder or toothpaste. Contact with your dentist to have a quick chat about the pros and cons of using an activated charcoal powder or toothpaste based on your specific circumstances.
5. Can I handle the flack from my friends and family when I buy activated charcoal toothpaste?
Before you announce your new found discovery to your friends and fam, think about whether you are ready for their friendly advice, anecdotes and thick and fast questioning about this “radical” path. In truth, the jury is out in relation to the success of using activated charcoal to whiten your teeth. If you want to march to the beat of your own activated charcoal drum, then go for it. But maybe give it a try to see what YOU think first. Oh and think twice before you brush your teeth around your new love interest. Your mouth looks pretty strange when you brush with activated charcoal!
To learn more about activated charcoal toothpastes head over to our Show Me Your Pearly White Teeth – But First Let’s Get Dirty blog post. Feel free to also browse the Product Reviews that C&B has collated on a range of activated charcoal teeth and oral care products. C&B