5ways to Whiten Teeth With Charcoal (Must Read)

How Does Activated Charcoal Whiten Your Teeth?

So, it’s all well and good that activated charcoal is an effective poison remedy… but does it really work to whiten teeth?

As I said, since the powder stains everything, I had always worried that it would do the same to my teeth. (One of my kids dumped it in the kitchen one time and it does stain tile, grout, clothes and shoes… just so you know!).

I did some research and found out that even though it temporarily makes the mouth look extremely black (picture for emphasis!) it has the same effect as it does when ingested: it pulls toxins from the mouth and removes stains. (Fair warning: when you open your mouth, it is completely black and rather scary looking! Right after I did this the first time I was intensely worried that it would stain my teeth.)

To my surprise, all of the black washes away and it makes your teeth feel extremely clean and smooth. After a few uses, my teeth were noticeably whiter too.

Further research I’ve done on this showed that activated charcoal can actually be helpful in changing the pH and health of the mouth, and as such is effective in preventing cavities and killing the bad bacteria present in tooth decay and gingivitis. For this reason, I now use it as part of my remineralizing protocol for teeth, along with my remineralizing toothpaste.

Of course, it is important to check with your own doctor and dentist before using this or any substance internally or orally.

How to Use Charcoal to Whiten Teeth

I’m sure everyone does it a little differently, but here’s the routine I’ve worked out over the years. Once you have it down, the whole process takes about 5 minutes. You can also see the whole thing in action in the video below.

1. I recommend having two toothbrushes, one for applying the charcoal and one for brushing your mouth out after. A cup for rinsing is also helpful. (Tip I learned the hard way: Have a microfiber cloth on hand to wipe out the sink when you’re done, also.)
2. Dip a clean, wet toothbrush into the powdered charcoal (or dump a capsule of charcoal on the toothbrush).
3. Lean over the container of charcoal and quickly put the charcoal-covered toothbrush in the mouth (this is to protect your sink).
4. Brush in small, very gentle circles to apply charcoal all over your teeth. Let sit for 2 minutes.
5. Spit and rinse until your mouth is clear of charcoal. (Again, be careful of surrounding surfaces.)
6. To any remaining charcoal out of your mouth, wet the the second clean toothbrush, brush lightly, and rinse.
7. Wipe out the sink with the microfiber before it dries for easiest clean-up.

Your mouth will feel amazingly clean…. your sink, not so much! Use as often as needed. Readers have also reported mixing the charcoal with water and swishing with it for two minutes.