{"id":154,"date":"2024-06-03T20:44:23","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T20:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/?p=154"},"modified":"2024-08-02T20:34:12","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T20:34:12","slug":"putting-charcoal-teeth-whitening-on-blast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/putting-charcoal-teeth-whitening-on-blast\/","title":{"rendered":"Putting Charcoal Teeth Whitening on Blast"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image-300x200.png\" alt=\"Aesthetic looking bowl of activated charcoal\" class=\"wp-image-155\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image.png 405w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The rise of homeopathic and DIY solutions isn\u2019t all bad. It\u2019s good to be resourceful and health conscious. However, social media is probably too fast for its own good. One of the latest trends in homebrew <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/teeth-whitening.html\">teeth whitening solutions<\/a>, charcoal, has several misconceptions that simply need to be put on blast. Keep reading to find out whether you need to dump out your toothpaste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Charcoal vs. Activated Charcoal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Technically, the charcoal floating around Facebook and TikTok is <em>activated charcoal.<\/em> Hopefully you haven\u2019t confused it with backyard grill fuel! Though activated charcoal is also made from things like coconut shells, olive pits, and wood, it goes through an extra heating step to become \u201cactivated\u201d. Noteworthy characteristics of activated charcoal include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A fine but grainy texture<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Porosity that makes it very absorbent<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Capable of staining certain surfaces<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You also don\u2019t have to worry about activated charcoal being toxic or carcinogenic. On the contrary, it\u2019s sometimes used to absorb poison from the bloodstream and reverse drug overdoses. The problem is with using it as a teeth whitener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Abrasive Textures Harm Your Enamel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dental enamel is pretty tough \u2013 one of the toughest substances in the human body, in fact. But like many organic materials, it can erode if consistently exposed to rough textures. When your enamel is thin, you\u2019re more likely to experience excessive dental sensitivity and are at increased risk for teeth-eating conditions like tooth decay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember how activated charcoal is made from hard-shelled materials and has a grainy feel to it? Yeah, it\u2019s abrasive. Activated charcoal <em>might<\/em> whiten your teeth, but at the cost of your oral health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does Activated Charcoal Actually Whiten Teeth?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s the rub. Whether activated charcoal effectively whitens your teeth in the first place is highly debated \u2013 although perhaps it shouldn\u2019t be. You see, there is no research connecting activated charcoal to dental stain removal. In fact, activated charcoal is known to stain most surfaces, including porcelain! That\u2019s hard to do, by the way, because porcelain is non-porous. Keep activated charcoal well away from your sinks, porcelain restorations, <em>and <\/em>natural teeth!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Final Nail in Activated Charcoal\u2019s Coffin: No Approval<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Since there\u2019s no research suggesting that activated charcoal whitens teeth, and since studies are showing that it actually harms your enamel, neither the ADA nor FDA approve of activated charcoal\u2019s use as a dental whitening agent. That\u2019s about as objective as it gets!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tried and True Professional Teeth Whitening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When all is said and done, activated charcoal is more likely to weaken your teeth and make them appear dull. Most over-the-counter teeth whitening products also fall into this camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you truly want to remove dental stains, the most effective and safe option is to contact your dentist. Whether you choose an in-office treatment or take-home kit, your dentist will use gentle, professional-grade whitening agents. You could see a huge difference in as little as an hour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr. Lauri Barge was deeply impacted by her own experiences as a dental patient and knows that achieving a beautiful smile isn\u2019t just about aesthetics. It\u2019s about health and wellness, too! She\u2019d be more than happy to remove your stubborn dental stains so that you can go about your day with renewed confidence. You can call her office at 972-539-3800 or explore her <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/contact.html\">website<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The rise of homeopathic and DIY solutions isn\u2019t all bad. It\u2019s good to be resourceful and health conscious. However, social media is probably too fast for its own good. One of the latest trends in homebrew teeth whitening solutions, charcoal, has several misconceptions that simply need to be put on blast. Keep reading to find [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Putting Charcoal Teeth Whitening on Blast | Lauri Barge DDS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"First baking soda, now activated charcoal \u2013 is this new teeth whitening fad just that? Here\u2019s why you should visit your dentist instead.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/putting-charcoal-teeth-whitening-on-blast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Putting Charcoal Teeth Whitening on Blast | Lauri Barge DDS\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"First baking soda, now activated charcoal \u2013 is this new teeth whitening fad just that? Here\u2019s why you should visit your dentist instead.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/putting-charcoal-teeth-whitening-on-blast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Lauri Barge, DDS Family &amp; Cosmetic Dentistry Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-03T20:44:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-02T20:34:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image-300x200.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"flowermounds\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"flowermounds\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/putting-charcoal-teeth-whitening-on-blast\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/putting-charcoal-teeth-whitening-on-blast\/\",\"name\":\"Putting Charcoal Teeth Whitening on Blast | Lauri Barge DDS\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/putting-charcoal-teeth-whitening-on-blast\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/putting-charcoal-teeth-whitening-on-blast\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/image-300x200.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-06-03T20:44:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-02T20:34:12+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.flowermoundsmiles.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/acff65b151757e0d0622c7133287a90f\"},\"description\":\"First baking soda, now activated charcoal \u2013 is this new teeth whitening fad just that? 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