Avoid coffee, floss everyday, use whitening strips, use baking soda. When it comes to getting whiter teeth you’ve tried it all, but to no avail. Yes, certain remedies will get the job done, but not all methods work on everyone. Enter activated charcoal, tiny granules of highly adsorptive charcoal that are very effective in binding certain materials to their surface. Tannins, astringents found in tea, coffee, red wine, sauces and other dark foods, cause many stains on teeth, and these tannins bind to the surface of activated charcoal and can effectively remove the hardest stains.
Activated charcoal can be purchased at your local nutrition store, and “the procedure is simple,” says Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Joseph Banker, who is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the Crown Counsel. “Open a capsule over a cup, mix the charcoal with a small amount of water and gently apply it to all the surfaces of the teeth. Leave the activated charcoal in place for two minutes then rinse with water until all of the charcoal is gone.” Sound like fun? Read on to hear Dr. Banker’s pros and cons of using activated charcoal as a beauty tool.