Does Charcoal Really Work for Whitening Your Teeth?

Whitening your teeth at home is a trend that has taken off and reached epic proportions. The whole thing started when Crest introduced whitening strips in 2001. These strips had to be left on for ages, and you couldn’t eat or drink anything for a certain amount of time afterward. Since these strips, at-home whitening has evolved to include everything from gels to toothpastes to LED lights. One of the more recent additions to the market is activate charcoal. It seems counter-intuitive to use something black to whiten your teeth, so we investigated.

What is Activated Charcoal?

Activated charcoal can be made from a variety of sources, including coal (duh) and wood. The part that makes it ‘active’ is a heat treatment that is applied to increase the surface area of the molecules. It comes in powder form, and is always synthetically produced.

Products that are labelled as organic activated charcoal are made organic sources. Activated charcoal does not occur naturally, so some processing is needed no matter what the source is.

Activated charcoal was originally used to treat poisoning, such as accidental overdoses of cyanide, iron, or strong acids and bases. It works as an antidote because toxins easily bind to the expanded surface area.

This same principle is behind using charcoal in beauty products. Before whitening your teeth with charcoal became popular, it was added to body and face washes. The dirt on your skin and in your pores is attracted to the activated charcoal particles, thus removing them from your body when you rinse off. When you brush your teeth with it, the food remnants and plaque are attracted to the charcoal and removed when you rinse.

Our Test

In order to see if activated charcoal is effective for whitening your teeth, we purchased a package of activated charcoal and brushed with it twice a day. Here are the parameters of our experiment:

1 – We brushed first with a regular whitening toothpaste. Charcoal doesn’t do anything to kill bacteria or freshen your breath, so normal toothpaste is still necessary. We used the charcoal for one full week.

2 – We brushed twice a day, once in the morning and once at night. This is our normal routine anyway, and we followed it with mouthwash.

3 – We stuck to our normal diet. Drinks like coffee and wine can stain your teeth, and we wanted to see if the charcoal would work on an everyday basis.

4 – We followed the instructions on the package. The container specifically says a little goes a long way, so we used the charcoal sparingly.

5 – We didn’t use any other whitening products. The toothpaste we used is labelled as whitening, but the vast majority of toothpaste products on the market now offer the same whitening capabilities. We did not use any strips, gels, or any other form of whitening product.

Does it Work?

We were pleased to find that brushing your teeth with activated charcoal does in fact work. After the first application, there was some noticeable whitening.

Pros and Cons

As with any product, there are ups and downs.

Pros:

·         It did the job and provided noticeable effects

·         It worked quickly, with visible whitening after the first use

·         There was no wait time after brushing before we could eat or drink anything

·         It was easy to incorporate into our daily routines

·         It didn’t taste like anything, whereas most whitening products have an overpowering artificial mint flavour

·         The cost was reasonable, with most brands ranging from $15 to $20

·         Only a small amount was needed, so the package will last a long time

Cons:

·         It was messy, and created black splashes

·         It stained our toothbrushes

·         It gets in between your teeth, so you have to rinse several times to remove the residue

Other Factors to Consider

After brushing with the charcoal, we found that our teeth felt smoother and cleaner throughout the day. This may be due to the charcoal, or it may be because we brushed our teeth twice.

As coffee drinkers know, after the first cup of coffee you start feel like you have java breath. This feeling wasn’t as prevalent, and as a result we felt fresher in the afternoon. Again, this could be because of the charcoal or because of double brushing in the morning.

In the end, using charcoal to whiten your teeth works. We would definitely purchase another charcoal whitening product. 

Iris Kirby House is a local foundation that helps women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

For December we're partnering with Butler Wills and Estates to collect as many donations as possible for the residents of Iris Kirby House.

If you live in the St. John's area, you can do your part by dropping off any of the items above, or by clicking here to go to the Iris Kirby donations page.

Five 90s Styles You Can Bring Back

Some of the style choices of the past are questionable, like pants so wide you could fit a small child in each leg. These fashion failures should never be recreated, but there are some styles from the nineties that you can bring back with a little bit of modernization.

Here are five nineties fashions to try.

1 – Mood Rings

At one point we all had mood rings. Whether or not they worked, they were a staple in our accessory arsenal. The good news is you can bust them out of their jewelry box prison, or pick one up online.

The basic premise of a mood ring is that it changes colour according to your mood, but that’s not the important part of bringing them back into style. Chunky jewelry is a great way to dress up a casual outfit without creating a diamonds-on-Sunday-morning vibe.

A mood ring can also give your neutral outfit a pop of colour. Most mood rings are an oval shape so you get to see a lot of the colour.

2 – Bleached blonde hair

Given the variety of hair colour available its not surprising that bleach blonde is making a comeback. Plus, the science behind hair colour is drastically different than it was in the nineties, so dying your hair much safer than it used to be.

If you want to try platinum locks, head to a stylist. A professional will be able to give you an even white or silver tone. Once you’ve gone blonde, the upkeep is important. Managing bright blonde requires toning, conditioning, and regular touch ups to avoid getting grown-out roots.

3 – Over-sized striped sweaters

This trend has started to find its way into modern style, but with a bit of a twist. Loose knitted pullovers were essential in the nineties, and we’re going to leave that part of this trend in the past. To work an over-sized striped sweater, choose one that is open in the front.

A pullover that is too big will make you look disproportionate by making your top half look much larger than your lower half. This effect is amplified for women with large chests. The open front creates a vertical line for the eye to follow, which is visually more slender than a wide knit.

Look for either pinstripes or wide stripes. Since pinstripes are so subtle, they are great for mixing with other patterns. Wider stripes are a statement on their own, and pair nicely with solids.

4 – T-shirts and blazers

We have teen comedies to thank for this one. Just about every nineties heartthrob wore a jumbo-sized suit with a black T-shirt tucked in. Fortunately, bringing this style back doesn’t come with so much extra fabric.

Choose a solid T-shirt that has a V-neck. The solid colour will let you pair it with any blazer and the V-neck is an adult version of the crewneck. Make sure your shirt doesn’t have giant logos all over it. This pairing can work for business casual, but not if you’re advertising for all sorts of brands.

The blazer should be fitted, but not tight. To get the right fit, you’ll probably need to get it tailored. Look for a piece that lands at your hips – a blazer that is too long or too big is reminiscent of the eighties.

5 – Hoop earrings

Hoop earrings were once all the rage for girls’ night out. As long as you don’t overdo it on the size, hoops are totally acceptable accessories.

Look for hoops that are fairly thin, and stick to basic designs. Anything thick will be too heavy to wear for a whole day or night. Also, look for a butterfly back. This is the same sort of back that a stud has. Many hoops have the little lever that opens, and swings back over the end of the post. If you work in an environment where you talk on the phone, this kind of back will hurt after one call.