Charcoal is mildly abrasive, which means it could help scrub away surface stains and tartar.
We've heard some pretty amazing stories from our friends, family members, and customers about the difference activated charcoal makes in their oral health, which is why we chose to add it to a few of our Earthpaste varieties.
The people we've spoken to swear that activated charcoal is the best natural tooth whitener. And there's a good reason for that. Charcoal is mildly abrasive, which means it could help scrub away surface stains and tartar, making your teeth appear whiter.
Activated charcoal has other potential benefits for your mouth too. It's sorptive, which means it can bind to bacteria. As you probably know, bacteria is behind a lot of common oral health issues, including bad breath, cavities, and gum infections. So activated charcoal could be a simple, effective way to support your oral health.
But is it safe?
Some people worry that activated charcoal may be too abrasive and cause damage to their teeth. But the truth is, a fine activated charcoal powder has a very low RDA (relative dentin abrasion) value of around 70. RDA is the metric used to test dental products in terms of damage to the enamel.
To put that RDA value in context a little more, the American Dental Association says that anything more than 250 is too abrasive for daily use. And the FDA says anything more than 200 is too abrasive for daily use. So charcoal is well within those safety limits. In fact, charcoal is actually less abrasive than most traditional toothpastes on the market.
Some people also wonder whether activated charcoal's black color will stain their teeth. Activated charcoal isn't a staining agent like wine, coffee, or tea. All of those beverages are very acidic which, along with a dark color, can stain teeth. Activated charcoal, however, is highly alkaline and will not turn your teeth black. That said, we do recommend thoroughly brushing with water after each use to get all the activated charcoal off your teeth.
Our Quality Guarantee
Like all the ingredients in our products, we only use pure activated charcoal from clean sources. Right now, the activated charcoal we use in Earthpaste comes from hardwood and coconut shells.
Not a fan of charcoal?
We know some people are charcoal super fans and other people prefer their paste charcoal free. That's why we offer charcoal and charcoal-free varieties of Earthpaste. Choose the kind that's right for you!