Activated Charcoal Toothpaste For Teeth Whitening – Is it Safe?
                     Activated Charcoal Toothpaste For 
Teeth Whitening – Is it Safe?
As  a  sociiety,  we  continue  to  turn  toward  naturall  and  organiic  products  to  hellp  us  
lliive  our  best  lliives.  Peoplle  iinterested  iin  lliiviing  chemiicall-free  lliives  are  llookiing  for  
suiitablle  repllacements  for  everythiing  from  deodorant  to  toothpaste.  And  iit’s  no  
wonder;  iit’s  getting  harder  and  harder  to  trust  biig  corporations  who  cllaiim  theiir  
products  are  safe  when  allll  the  eviidence  agaiinst  them  says  that  they  aren’t.
One  naturall  iingrediient  that  has  become  popullar  iin  the  llast  few  years  iis  
charcoall.  Experts  iin  the  heallth  and  wellllness  iindustriies  have  a  variiety  of  uses  for  
activated  charcoall,  iinclludiing  iin  toothpaste.  Whiille  iit  doesn’t  llook  appetiziing,  
there  are  many  benefits  to  usiing  iit.  But  iis  iit  safe?  As  wiith  most  thiings  iin  lliife,  iit  
depends  on  who  you  ask.
Bart  G.  Chriistiansen,  a  Centenniiall  dentist  practiciing  at  Chriistiansen  Dentall  says,  
“The  type  of  toothpaste  you  use  matters.  Not  allll  toothpastes  are  created  equall.  
It’s  iimportant  to  pay  attention  to  the  iingrediients  lliist  and  understand  where  the  
product  iis  comiing  from.  Allthough  some  peoplle  don’t  brush  wiith  toothpaste  at  
allll  and  use  homemade  pastes  wiith  iingrediients  such  as  bakiing  soda,  regullar  
viisiits  to  your  dentist  wiillll  hellp  you  maiintaiin  good  orall  heallth  and  understand  
whether  or  not  your  brushiing  and  flossiing  regiime  are  workiing  to  keep  your  
teeth and gums healthy.”
Understanding Activated Charcoal 
as a Toothpaste Option
Let’s explore some of the pros and cons of using activated charcoal so you can 
decide if it’s something you want to try. Before we get into that, let’s talk about 
the ingredients that are found in activated charcoal. 
A number of combinations exist, but the most popular one is a grainy, dark 
powder made from certain types of wood, coconut shells, and a variety of other 
natural ingredients that have been cured and oxidized under extreme heat. 
The heat releases the natural agents in the ingredients and makes it suitable for 
cleaning your teeth. If you can get past the very dark color of the paste on your 
teeth, you might find it’s a good option for you to help brighten your smile.
What Can Activated Charcoal Do for 
Your Teeth?
The charcoal is an abrasive substance that will, for all intents and purposes, 
clean your teeth. It has been known to whiten teeth over time as well because 
of its abrasive nature. It scrubs away surface stains. The truth is that we haven’t 
been using activated charcoal long enough to know whether it has any long-
term effects on our health and wellness. People who use it tend to be the first 
to defend its high-quality results, though.
An interesting thing to consider is that the abrasive nature of activated charcoal 
toothpaste makes it too strong for everyday use. It’s something that you should 
plan to use only a few times a week. The enamel of your teeth is very sensitive 
and can be worn down quickly with repeated abrasive action.
Know the Ingredients and 
What’s Missing
If you are going to use charcoal toothpaste, be sure to subsidize that use with a 
fluoride treatment. Although nearly all North American toothpastes have 
fluoride in them, natural toothpastes do not always include them. Fluoride 
helps to keep your teeth healthy and protect them against disease and 
infection.
If you have dentures or veneers, it’s not known whether or not the activated 
charcoal will cause problems or stain those materials overtime. Don’t forget, 
activated charcoal is very dark and while it may be flavored to take the edge off, 
it doesn’t taste very good either.
Deciding for Yourself
The question of safety around the use of activated charcoal is not clear. 
Unfortunately, we don’t have enough information about it. Even though it’s 
natural, it’s being used in a way that we are not familiar with and we don’t have 
a lot of history on it yet.
Whenever you buy something “natural,” it’s important to do your homework on 
the ingredients. Commercial toothpastes are not all created equal, but they are 
regulated and there are steps taken to ensure the safety of those products for 
everyday use.
Christiansen Dental
9025 E Mineral Cir  Ste 250
Centennial, CO 80112
303-790-9323
www.christiansendental.net