Do You Ever Wonder . . .
About the people who write product warnings? Consider the things they tell us not to swallow:
Okay, on that last one I have a real question: How am I supposed to not swallow for 20 minutes while stuff fizzes out of a plastic tray into my mouth?
The answer, of course, is that I’m not. Package inserts are often more about reducing liability than educating the consumer. Case in point? Printing “may irritate eyes” on a can of pepper spray, and the “warnings” about gum irritation that come with tooth whiteners. If they really wanted to educate consumers, the label would say:
WARNING: This product is likely to contain coal tar, fluoride, aspartame, aluminum, and benzene and has demonstrated acute toxicological effects in rats, including but not limited to labored breathing, bloody urine, infertility and incontinence. (source 1)
Fortunately, there’s an easier, cheaper, and completely natural way to whiten your teeth in less than 3 minutes a day. It’s one of the six tooth care recipes I share in my ebook, DIY Organic Beauty Recipes. And like many truly healthy options, the solution seems almost counter-intuitive. Eat fat to lose fat? Check! Flaxseeds for homemade hair gel? Check! Brush your teeth with something that looks like squid ink for a dazzling, pearly white smile? Surprisingly, that works, too.
Activated Charcoal: The Secret To Naturally White Teeth
Activated charcoal – also called activated carbon – is made by processing charcoal with oxygen and either calcium chloride or zinc chloride. It was used medicinally by both Hippocrates and the ancient Egyptians, and it is still the poison remedy of choice in modern-day emergency rooms. Why? Because it’s highly adsorptive, which in plain English means it attracts substances to its surface like a magnet. Like absorptive substances that work like a sponge, adsorptive materials bind with certain compounds and prevent our bodies from using them.
Fortunately for us, activated charcoal is a bit particular about what it locks onto. It’s not interested in calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, inorganic phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc and other compounds you probably want to hang onto (including your tooth enamel). It does, however, happen to like tannins – the compounds found in coffee, tea (even herbal tea), blueberries, wine and spices like cinnamon that stain our teeth. As a bonus, activated charcoal also balances the mouth’s pH and is even considered beneficial enough to be used in some tooth re-mineralization formulas.
So, are you ready to give it a try? Good!
No wait, there is something I forgot to tell you. This is really important so I hope you’re scrunched up to your screen nice and close. Ready? Okay! Folks, this stuff WORKS. When you start noticing children in grocery carts and little old ladies hovering in your vicinity, you don’t need to go check your makeup in the mirror. They just want to see you smile again. Okay? As someone who used to pop in whitening trays every day I was skeptical, but give this stuff a week or two and you’ll be amazed. Okay, moving on!
How To Whiten Teeth Naturally With Activated Charcoal
There is no “right” way to whiten teeth naturally with activated charcoal. Koreans put it in their toothpaste, Crunchy Betty swishes with it, and some people simply brush it on straight. Personally, I prefer the following method:
- Open a capsule of activated charcoal (about 1/8 teaspoon) and pour about half into a cup.
- Wet your toothbrush and dip it in the charcoal, then brush gently. Keep in mind that you are not trying to scrub your enamel, you are simply massaging the surface of your teeth with the activated charcoal so that it can attract tannins like a magnet.
- After brushing, hold it in your mouth for 2-3 minutes to allow it to continue to work.
- Spit and rinse thoroughly, then follow with a second brushing using your tooth powder or natural toothpaste.
- Now look in the mirror and smile. You may see a difference with the first application. If not, give it a few days to a week and I promise you will!
Want More Recipes?
In my 180 page guide, DIY Organic Beauty Recipes, I’ll show you how to boost the whitening power of activated charcoal with a minty-fresh mouthwash. You’ll also discover how ridiculously easy it is to make your own beauty products: Quick yet luxurious gifts for the holiday season, fabulous shampoos, conditioners, body sprays, lotions, deodorants, baby products and more!
* Activated charcoal does bind with iodine and may bind with other vitamins and minerals the body needs, so it is not usually recommended for internal use except when dealing with acute situations such as chemical or food poisoning. Activated charcoal does not work in situations where the material ingested is caustic, such as lye.
About The Author
Heather Dessinger, aka The Mommypotamus, is a wife, blogger and mom to two amazing kiddos, both waterborne at home. She loves all things fermented, talks to sock puppets and dreams of owning her very own flock of backyard chickens. She is the author of two ebooks. Nourished Baby is a simple guide to introducing real food to little ones, and DIY Organic Beauty Recipes is a collection of 50+ beauty and personal care product recipes that really work.
More Information
How to Use Activated Charcoal to Whiten Teeth Naturally Without Making a Mess
Food Poisoning Remedies That Work Fast
Toddler’s Severe Tooth Decay Halted in 5 Days
Whiten Your Teeth Without Dangerous Chemicals
Natural Alternative to Dangerous Baby Teething Gels
Resolving Periodontal Problems with Bone Broth
Coconut Oil Stops Strep Bacteria from Damaging Tooth Enamel
What is the True Cause of Crooked Teeth?
10 Signs Your Dentist is Truly Holistic
Avoiding Root Canals with Diet Alone
Could the Cause of Your Illness Be Right Under Your Nose?
Most Wisdom Tooth Extractions Totally Unnecessary
Anybody know what affect this has on your tooth enamel?
Hi Heather,
OK…….so I tried the activated charcoal teeth whitening method tonight before bed and here is what I found……
My teeth, gums, tongue, lips, everything turned this awful black color (like one of those awful horror flicks) and I got “REALLY” nervous!
I continued on with the treatment and brushed well, and rinsed thoroughly after and most of the color did leave my mouth…..except my tongue it still has a coating or residue that I’m hoping will be gone by morning
Whitening tips: Avoid water & tooth paste with fluoride is this really true? I’m so confuse I read that on this site
I used activated charcoal for all kinds of things including my teeth. I will say DO NOT USE ANY TOOTHPASTE afterwards or ever.
I have had only one cavity in my life and that was because the brush could not reach behind the metal ring that where anchoring my braces.
I have avoided sweet for years but also due to being lactose intolerant also avoided dairy most of my life.
Now as an adult. I eat good but I do not avoid sugar in fact I often finish off a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Phish food on my own.
I eat nuts, crackers ( I have notices if I eat too many crackers my tooth often hurt and I back off) apparently its the Phytic Acid in grains that cause tooth decay. I just found that out today so many that’s the issue with the crackers. I do NOT drink sodas. I also have never had fluoride on my teeth and have avoided it my whole life.
So why are my teeth in good shape?
I think one of the main reasons is most of my life I have not use toothpaste very often. Tooth paste contain glycerine (even the natural non-fluoride ones) and glycerine coats the teeth and prevents the natural re mineralization that repairs your teeth naturally.
A co worker that has a absolutely horrible diet and eat garbage and sweets all of the time told me the other day he has perfect dental health. We started talking and he said he thinks it’s because he has never used toothpaste! He uses water!
I would suggest brushing with AC then follow that with a calcium mag powder supplement to help in mineralization and you could use and ionic tooth brush as well as I have heard that helps the re mineralization.
Avoid toothpaste and whiteners as they are not good for your teeth. Increase your Vitamin D3 to 1,000 I.U. per 25lbs of body weight per day also. Of course less sugar, and grains are advisable as well.
After reading about Weston Price, I like to ask strangers about their teeth – if a man seems unusually healthy and strong.
Of the first several I asked, who said that they had great teeth, two said that their mother made them take cod liver oil every day as a child. I did not expect to hear that at all. One was in his 60’s, the other in his 40’s.
If you read this, do some surveying of your own – it’s for sure that medical science will not do such a study.
Fluoride is a bit more natural than activated charcoal. Nevertheless, just wanted to warn people that ingesting the charcoal without doctor’s guidance can lead to digestive problems (ie additional hospital bills).
TOTAL B.S. and ignorance. First off Fluoride is garbage and is harmful and does nothing for your teeth and should be avoided.
Activated Charcoal is natural safe and will stop most food poisoning in it’s track if taken at the first sign of sickness. It also will prevent or eliminate gas and nausea.
Just make sure it’s food grade and drink lots of water. There is absolutely no concern at all of using it to brush your teeth unlike Fluoride which is toxic.
Also Activated Charcoal can help with a detox and also be used externally to remove poison from spider bites.
fluoride is a toxin and your body deposits in your teeth to try to protect itself from the damages.
I guess hydroperoxide will do the similar magic, well this one is also good
Hydrogen peroxide will but in some people it will cause the teeth and gums to become sensitive. And so will baking soda which made my inner area near my lips numb. I stop using both of the above and use Charcoal now.
Be careful with buying charcoal….there are a lot of variables. You can’t be sure what kind of trees or whatever is being used. Allergic reactions happen…and if the charcoal is not handled correctly….it can have some unwanted things in it.
I would rather use soda. For intestinal upsets or accidental poisoning…bentonite clay is soooooooooo much better!!!
Would this work for teeth stained by flouridosis?
Is there absolutly no risk ? Because I’ve always heard that one should not use baking soda too often or else it damages the enamel. So I wonder if it is the same case with charcoal ?