If this is still a trend you want to try, reach for activated charcoal toothpaste — not the actual powder. "Pure activated charcoal is very rough and abrasive," says Gelfand. "Using straight-up activated charcoal could damage your tooth enamel irreversibly. Also, because of the dark color, you can end up staining your gums black. The charcoal can get lodged in your gums and be very difficult to remove, causing black staining." Gelfand suggests limiting your use to this kind of toothpaste to once a week. You can also find charcoal on floss and toothbrush bristles — and neither of those will turn your mouth black like toothpaste or powder would.
This vegan, gluten-free charcoal toothpaste helps remove surface stains from teeth. It also features coconut oil to remove plaque, baking soda to naturally whiten, peppermint oil to freshen breath and tea tree oil to kill germs.
This floss is anything but basic. Made from bamboo fiber, it's coated in activated charcoal, as well as coconut oil and essential oils (myrrh, manuka, clove, peppermint and cinnamon).
The bristles on this toothbrush are made with Binchotan activated charcoal, hence their black shade. The bristles are super-soft and gentle, so they clean teeth without being abrasive.
Activated charcoal isn't going to magically give you Hollywood-level pearly whites. In fact, "there is no miracle way to quickly whiten your teeth at home with a DIY method," says Gelfand. But there are some easy steps you can take at home to keep your smile looking its best. Brush twice a day to prevent surface stains from developing, floss once a day, curb your intake of foods and drinks that are majorly staining (we're looking at you coffee!) and absolutely no smoking, says Charng.
