Yahoo Lifestyle Charcoal as a teeth whitener?
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If you haven't already spent a full 7 minutes of your life watching an oddly fascinating YouTube video of someone brushing their teeth with pitch-black paste, we'll fill you in.
They're using activated charcoal (a reheated, oxidised version of the stuff you buy for summer barbeques) as a natural tooth whitener. The strangest part? It actually works. "I was super skeptical until I tried it. It's quite messy, but it does strip away stains and plaque to make your teeth appear whiter," says Joseph Banker, a cosmetic dentist based in the US.
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Activated charcoal's natural adhesive qualities let it bind with surface-staining culprits like coffee, tea, wine, and plaque, and take them off your teeth for good when you spit it out, Banker says. However, its whitening power stops at stains - if your teeth are naturally darker or yellow, you'll need to buy a product with a bleaching agent like hydrogen peroxide or try an in-office treatment.
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As far as safety goes, the fine, odourless and tasteless powder is kosher to ingest: it's sold in health food stores in tablet form. But Banker and officials warn that until we know if it's gritty enough to damage enamel, you need to avoid actually scrubbing it on your teeth. So it’s best to double check with your dentist if it has piqued your interest.
Here's how to give it a whirl - safely:
1. Break 1–2 tablets of activated charcoal and pour the powder contents into a cup.
2. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the cup (a teaspoon should do the trick) and mix to form a paste.
3. Dab the paste on all exposed surfaces of your teeth.
4. Wait 3 minutes, and rinse.
