When you’re looking and scouting for the best dentist in Chicago, you inevitably run into various dental products that promise to give you a radiant smile. But out of the thousands of solutions that flood the market, one seems to stick out more than the others: charcoal toothpaste.
The Good
The main reason you may want to make the switch to charcoal-based toothpaste is how impactful it is on stains. While you may rely on whitening strips and specialized mouthwash, charcoal seems to blow them out of the water with its results.
Many individuals have found that using charcoal toothpaste was the cure for their stains. Discoloration from coffee, nicotine, fruit juices and other sources seem to melt away once you start using dental products with high concentrations of charcoal.
This type of toothpaste also seems to fight plaque buildup with ease. When you move throughout your day and eat various meals, you often fail to realize how food begins to gather around the gumline. If you do not floss or use a Waterpik to remove this buildup, this food can quickly harden and begin to cause problems such as cavities and other deterioration. After using charcoal toothpaste, however, this buildup rapidly diminishes.
The Bad
The number-one complaint that most customers express when they decide to use charcoal toothpaste is how sensitive their teeth become afterward. The charcoal has begun to wear down the outermost layer of the tooth and causes temperature fluctuations and sensitivity–resulting in pain and discomfort for the user.
In conjunction with this, you may notice a surprising side effect; discoloration. While the charcoal wears down the protective layer of our teeth, discoloration from food and drinks becomes more common. So while the charcoal may have initially seemed to make stains disappear, with long term use stains have actually become more present and users may want to avoid items such as wine, fruit juices, tomato paste, soda and coffee.
Another component that you may find unwanted is the lack of fluoride contained in most of these charcoal products. Fluoride, in small amounts, helps protect and seal our teeth from harmful particles. When you use this compound, you can reduce the risk of gum disease, cavities, decay, discoloration and other tooth-related ailments. To put it simply, charcoal toothpaste won’t protect from these issues. Finding a charcoal product that implements fluoride may be our best alternative.
Final Verdict
While charcoal toothpaste may not cause any substantial amount of damage to our teeth, it should be used in moderation. For the best results possible, you should only rely on charcoal-based toothpaste when our teeth become extremely discolored.
It acts as a great alternative to expensive over-the-counter products like whitening strips, bleach trays and other concoctions. If you have any further questions about implementing charcoal products into our dental regimen, you should consult with the best dentists in Lincoln Park and the rest of Chicago, American Dental!