Fact Check: Is charcoal toothpaste good for teeth?

Hyderabad: A popular myth is making rounds on social media claiming that toothpastes with activated charcoal are among the best toothpastes in the market.

Nowadays, charcoal has become one of the biggest lifestyle trends in the world, be it toothpaste, wellness and cosmetics. Commercials claim charcoal promises the best result when it comes to teeth whitening or better gum health.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found the claim to be false.

According to Healthline, “Charcoal toothpaste can remove some surface stains on your teeth, but it doesn’t whiten teeth better than regular toothpaste. Its long-term effects are unclear.”

Similarly, a study in 2017 showed insufficient clinical and laboratory data to substantiate the safety and efficacy claims of charcoal and charcoal-based dentifrices. Larger-scale and well-designed studies are needed to establish conclusive evidence.

Another study found that a 12-week brushing routine with charcoal-based whitening toothpastes and regular fluoridated toothpaste presented similar effects in the colour of enamel. Surface roughness was increased while microhardness was not affected with charcoal-based whitening toothpastes. It would be safe to say that charcoal-based whitening toothpastes do not promise to whiten teeth and their effects on enamel abrasion should not be disregarded.

The article on Healthline reads, “Although charcoal toothpaste is getting a lot of attention and press, it’s not more effective than other toothpaste or at-home whitening products on the market. It may help remove surface stains, but the long-term use of this product is still unknown due to limited studies. Speak with a dentist about the best whitening option for you.”

We further contacted Dr Manvi Shrivastava, a pediatric dentist, to debunk the claim. She said, “Charcoal-containing toothpaste are high PSA. Charcoal is a mild abrasive which cleans your enamel but using it on a regular basis would harm your teeth. Continuous use of charcoal toothpaste for a prolonged period of time will wear off your enamel. It might turn your teeth yellowish than white. In the long run, I would never advise anyone to use charcoal containing toothpaste. It is always advisable to use a toothpaste which has fluoride in it.”