The Side Effects of Charcoal

Another whitening trend that’s come along is the use of charcoal toothpaste. Activated charcoal has been used, most notably in poison control centers, to “soak up” toxins a sufferer may have ingested. Building on this logic, the thinking goes that charcoal will absorb stain-causing bacteria in the mouth, and its coarse structure provides the abrasive action to clear pearly whites of discoloration.

There are no studies that indicate any of this is actually true, and tooth enamel is probably the only surface that charcoal is eroding away. Just as with peroxide-based whiteners, tooth and gum sensitivity and ingestion problems come into play. It will also turn your tongue black!

One of the chief side effects of ingesting too much charcoal is its interference with any medicines you might be taking.

The charcoal can literally soak it up.

One gastroenterologist cited in Eater even warned women that charcoal ingestion, accidental or otherwise, could interfere with the effectiveness of their birth control pill

Source American Dental Association
05 Nov 2018 Dr.Adam S. Harwood, DMD Todays Dental News
Dr. Harwood is a graduate of the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine with an advanced degree in endodontics. He was the first endodontist in New York to use a surgical operating microscope. Also, he is a member of the ADA and a specialist member of the American Association of Endodontists. He has taught endodontics at the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, New York University School of Dentistry, and the Metropolitan Hospital Center.

• Are charcoal tooth whitening products safe?
• Can they Damage Enamel?
• Can they affect medications?
• Can they interfere with the effectiveness of birth control pills?