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Did you know that you can naturally whiten your teeth with activated charcoal? This black powder can turn your teeth white!
The second I got my braces off in high school, I began whitening my teeth. I finally had a set of straight teeth but they were not a pretty shade of white. I started out with many of the teeth bleaching kits that are out on the market.
Did they work? Sure but I also ended up using toxins and my teeth let me know about it!
After a few bleaching sessions my teeth would be extra sensitive. This will sound crazy but every night that I would bleach my teeth, I would have crazy dreams all involving teeth… teeth falling out, teeth hurting, teeth pulling.
All very odd but I’m convince it was probably because my teeth were aching in one way or another while I was asleep!
Eventually, I stopped using teeth whitening products. It hurt my teeth, I was tired of swallowing that nasty whitening gel, and the crazy dreams needed to stop. So I learned to live with my not so pearly white smile.
However, a few years ago I learned about activated charcoal as a natural tooth whitener.
What is Activated Charcoal?
Activated charcoal is different from the stuff in your barbecue. It has been oxidized which causes the charcoal surface to become porous.
The porous nature is what attracts metals, chemicals, and toxins to the activated charcoal. Think of activated charcoal as an impurity magnet.
Activated charcoal is a great detoxing ingredient in many products like my face mask but today we want to focus on the teeth whitening ability.
It’s wonderful that activated charcoal attracts toxins and helps remove them from our bodies but it also acts the same way with the stains on our teeth.
It draws out things like tannins from tea and helps rid our teeth of the yellow stains. As an extra bonus, activated charcoal is also great for bad breath!
Common Activated Charcoal Questions
There are always a few questions that most people have when it comes to this black powder so I’m going to take the time to answer them.
Is it safe to use?
Yes! Activated Charcoal is definitely safe to use. Since it works by adsorbing toxins you do not need to worry about toxins suddenly reabsorbing into your body.
It draws toxins like a magnet and they leave with the activated charcoal. It also only adsorbs the bad. It will not suck up any of the good minerals in your tooth enamel so your teeth will not get damaged.
It’s also interesting to note that activated charcoal is what hospitals use for people who are dealing with an overdose or poisoning.
What does it taste like?
Nothing! Honestly, it tastes like nothing. It’s a little gritty but there is no flavor.
Is activated charcoal messy?
Oh yeah! This stuff has the potential to get everywhere and since it’s black it can be very messy. Just be careful and you really shouldn’t have any issues. However, you might want to have a designated toothbrush as the activated charcoal is hard to completely remove from the bristles.
Where can I buy activated charcoal?
It’s possible that you can find activated charcoal in the supplements section of your grocery store but if that’s not the case than I always recommend amazon! I can get a bottle of 100 capsules for about $5 usually.
You can also buy activated charcoal in loose form which is likely the better buy but activated charcoal is messy so I prefer the capsules which help contain the mess a bit.
How to Naturally Whiten Your Teeth with Activated Charcoal
1 toothbrush
1 capsule activated charcoal (or 1/2 tsp)
Directions:
Open activated charcoal capsule into a small jar or bowl.
Wet toothbrush and dip into activated charcoal.
Brush your teeth with the activated charcoal like you would for a normal brushing session for 3-5 minutes.
Dip into more activated charcoal as needed.
Rinse out mouth and brush teeth with toothpaste to remove all of the activated charcoal.
Do once daily for 3-5 days. You should get your desired results by then.
To maintain results, do this process once every few months perhaps with the changing of the seasons.
Want more ways to use activated charcoal?
Activated Charcoal Face Mask
Deep Cleaning Activated Charcoal Scrub
45 Ways to Use Activated Charcoal
I like this and I'm going to try it. The last few years my pearly whites haven't been as white as I'd like them to be and the whitening tooth paste wasn't as effective as I'd like.
Annamaria
Thanks for the recipe. I drink tea which darkens my teeth.
I have been using activated charcoal to whiten my teeth 1-2 times a week for several months and am thrilled with my results! It is SUPER messy but not hard to clean up, and I love that it's natural and safe. Great post!
I’ve heard of this before, and I love that it’s all natural! Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday. 🙂
So helpful! I have not used activated charcoal yet but I have been interested in it, so thank you for sharing How to Naturally Whiten Your Teeth with Activated Charcoal at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I’m Pinning and sharing.
Does it cause sensitivity like the bleach whitening stuff?
No it does not! The only thing you’d want to be careful about is being gentle on your gums. I’ve accidentally used a toothbrush that had more firm bristles and my gums were not happy.
Can you use this while you have braces on?
Yes! It isn’t too abrasive and should be fine with braces on.
Do you brush your teeth with toothpaste before or after ?
After to help remove the remaining activated charcoal.
I have four teeth on the bottom, right in front that are a partial. Will it be ok to brush this on them?
Yes, it should be ok.