By Cindy Tran
It’s the trendy wonder ingredient that promises dazzling, white teeth.
And some of the world’s most glamorous stars with Hollywood smiles swear by charcoal toothpaste, claiming the gritty black stuff whitens teeth.
But does the latest craze really work?
Young model Jenna Hudson, from South Australia, insisted she has seen glowing results after using the charcoal powder kit.
I’ve seen a brighter appearance. I wouldn’t say it’s dramatic results but definitely in the front teeth, you can see it looks a little bit cleaner,’ she told Today Tonight.
‘I like to usually brush for about two minutes with it, and then you rinse all the charcoal out of your mouth so you’ve got a nice clean mouth, and then you go on with your regular toothpaste.’
The woman said she purchased the product after seeing it on Instagram.
‘It’s a very big trend at the moment to have nice white teeth, and to use charcoal products,’ Jenna said.
But Adelaide dentist Dr George Mandranis said charcoal toothpaste could have the opposite effect and even remove the shiny enamel, making teeth appear yellow.
‘Some of the products I’ve come across, which have been recommended on social media, often can contain quite obviously large granules,’ he told Today Tonight.
‘The reason why they’re so damaging is they are abrasive. When they are combined with tooth brushing, you could actually wear away the surface of the tooth.
‘Unfortunately, once the surface of the tooth is lost, we can’t replace that. If we remove any of that enamel, the tooth could actually appear yellower and expose more of that sensitive layer, and as a result, making teeth quite uncomfortable.
But Adelaide dentist Dr George Mandranis said charcoal toothpaste could have the opposite effect and even remove the shiny enamel, making teeth appear yellow.
‘Some of the products I’ve come across, which have been recommended on social media, often can contain quite obviously large granules,’ he told Today Tonight.
‘The reason why they’re so damaging is they are abrasive. When they are combined with tooth brushing, you could actually wear away the surface of the tooth.
‘Unfortunately, once the surface of the tooth is lost, we can’t replace that. If we remove any of that enamel, the tooth could actually appear yellower and expose more of that sensitive layer, and as a result, making teeth quite uncomfortable.
Basically what we’re doing is scrubbing away surface stains on the actual teeth. The actual tooth itself does not whiten at all.’
For whiter teeth, Dr Mandranis encouraged people to have a regular dental clean and check-up at the dentist.
‘Regular dental clean and a check-up will be able to remove the stain on the surface of the teeth as oppose to using an abrasive charcoal product,’ he said.
‘Some things on social media are often promoted or advertised to us rather than recommended by a professional.’
He recommended using Colgate and Oral B products for promising results.
(Mailonline)
