Dental News - Dentists discourage the use of charcoal toothpaste

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 22. May 2019

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LONDON/MANCHESTER, UK: From face masks to burger buns, charcoal, the latest health trend, can be found in all kinds of products. This also applies to oral hygiene products: black toothpastes with charcoal are advertised as being able to remove stains and whiten teeth. However, in a recent study, a group of British dentists advised against the use of charcoal toothpaste, arguing that it could actually have negative effects on oral health.

The dentists studied 50 different kinds of charcoal toothpaste and found only 8 per cent of them contained fluoride, which indicated that they offered very limited protection from dental caries. As many as 96 per cent of the products claimed to have tooth whitening properties; however, they did not contain enough free radical bleaching agent for this purpose. Furthermore, charcoal-based materials are often abrasive, which could damage the enamel and the gingivae.

The popularity of charcoal toothpastes is believed to be increasing in many countries across the world, including the UK, the US, Japan, India, Thailand, Lithuania, Australia, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Switzerland, where charcoal-based toothpastes have been reported to be produced. It is understood that many patients ask members of their dental team for advice on the use and benefits of charcoal toothpastes and powders, and that the advice given is often empirical. Therefore, dentists should make sure to inform their patients about the current trend and advise them to use other toothpastes.

“When used too often in people with fillings, it can get into them and become difficult to get out,” said co-author Dr Joseph Greenwall-Cohen from the University of Manchester Dental School in conversation with the BBC. “Charcoal particles can also get caught up in the gums and irritate them.”

Prof. Damien Walmsley, the British Dental Association’s scientific adviser, told the BBC: “Charcoal-based toothpastes offer no silver bullets for anyone seeking a perfect smile, and come with real risks attached.” He added, “So don’t believe the hype. Anyone concerned about staining or discoloured teeth that can’t be shifted by a change in diet, or improvements to their oral hygiene, should see their dentist.”

The study, titled “Charcoal-containing dentifrices”, was published online on 10 May 2019 in the British Dental Journal.

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