There is a new trend of using charcoal to whiten your teeth and Casey Freelove from KAHI Radio sat down with Dr. Singh Sachdeva to discuss this trend.
The California Association of Orthodontists warn that this [trend] is not a good idea and you could potentially be doing some real damage to your teeth.
“[People] are using activated charcoal to whiten their teeth and they see that it is working and the conclusion is that they don’t need to see a professional, they don’t need to see a dentist, you can just start using something like charcoal. Charcoal is a burnt wood or coal and it’s abrasive; when you rub it against your teeth it may clean up your teeth a little bit, or at least give the feeling of [teeth] looking cleaner or whiter but I think it just a myth. It is actually causing more damage to the teeth than anything else.”