While perusing blogs on the internet, you may have come across posts praising the use of activated charcoal as a safe and all-natural way to whiten your teeth at home. However, before you go out and buy a bottle of the charcoal to crush so you can brush your teeth with the powder, consider the following reasons why this at-home method may be a bad idea.

1. Causes Erosion of Tooth Enamel

One reason you should use caution before trying activated charcoal to whiten your teeth is that it is highly abrasive. Even if you manage to grind it as finely as possible, the powder is still harsh on your teeth’s enamel.

If you brush your teeth even a few days a week with the charcoal, it will scratch your enamel and eventually wear it down. At the very least, the thinner enamel will allow the yellowish dentin beneath it to show through, making your teeth appear dull and discolored. However, the wearing down of your enamel can cause more serious issues.

2. Leads to Tooth Sensitivity and Decay

As the abrasive charcoal wears down your teeth’s enamel, the once protective coating will no longer shield the underlying nerves from extremes in temperature or acidic and sugary foods. You may develop tooth sensitivity, which will only worsen the more you use the charcoal.

Then, after long-term use of the activated charcoal as a teeth whitener, the enamel may wear down completely in spots, leaving you with cavities. If left untreated, these cavities could lead to tooth decay that would require extensive dental work to treat.

Instead of trying at-home techniques for teeth whitening in Mesa AZ that could leave your smile in worse shape, consider having your teeth professionally whitened by one of our dentists at Mesa Dental. The formulas we use are safer, and the methods are tried and true.