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Years ago, a reader from India told me about a natural way to whiten teeth and it is the only method I’ve used since that time. Her suggestion? Use charcoal to whiten teeth with!
Whiten Teeth With Charcoal?
I was very skeptical that charcoal could actually help whiten teeth. I already kept activated charcoal around the house since we have kids and this highly absorbent substance is often used in hospitals for food poisoning. Because I kept it around the house, I’d also seen firsthand what happens when it spills on a kitchen floor (grout = permanently ruined) so I was afraid it would stain my teeth and not whiten them.
There are whitening toothpastes out there that have activated charcoal in them, but I decided a daily brush with charcoal toothpaste sounded like too much mess. I prefer to use the straight black powder version for a deep treatment.
How Charcoal Works
Activated charcoal is a highly absorbent substance. It removes toxins when they adhere to the surface of the charcoal. It is not absorbed by the body, but passes through the GI system, so chemicals and toxins bind to it, which then pass through the body and are expelled by the digestive system.
In the 1800s, two men took lethal doses of poisons (including arsenic) and survived without harm… their secret: they mixed the poisons with activated charcoal powder. (Stating the obvious: do not try to repeat these experiments!)
Activated charcoal is extremely effective at binding to toxins from household chemicals, ingested medicines, and other chemicals from the body, especially when taken within 30 minutes of ingestion. For this reason, it is a great first treatment for any kind of poisoning, but should not be taken within several hours of medications (or even vitamins) that DO need to be absorbed.
I had used activated charcoal when I had an awful bout of food poisoning, and it worked wonders! I mixed about a tablespoon of activated charcoal with water and drank quickly. The food poisoning symptoms went away within a couple of hours. This one dose was enough to remedy my food poisoning, but others report having to take this dose several times within a day before finding relief.
Charcoal is not a substance I would take regularly, as it can cause constipation and block mineral absorption if it is taken when it is not needed. Also, it can’t be mixed with dairy products or many foods, as they lower its effectiveness. Charcoal can also cause dehydration in large doses so it is important to consume enough water when consuming charcoal.
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 Wellnesse remineralizing toothpaste and charcoal 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.
- 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.)
- Dip a clean, wet toothbrush into the powdered charcoal (or dump a capsule of charcoal on the toothbrush).
- Lean over the container of charcoal and quickly put the charcoal-covered toothbrush in the mouth (this is to protect your sink).
- Brush in small, very gentle circles to apply charcoal all over your teeth. Let sit for 2 minutes.
- Spit and rinse until your mouth is clear of charcoal. (Again, be careful of surrounding surfaces.)
- To any remaining charcoal out of your mouth, wet the the second clean toothbrush, brush lightly, and rinse.
- 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.
This video shows how I brush with charcoal:
Where to Get Activated Charcoal
Most natural health stores carry activated charcoal in loose powder or capsule form and it is also available online. I keep both the powdered and capsuled forms on hand in case it is needed for poisoning and I keep the powder in a small glass jar for tooth brushing. Make sure that the charcoal is from wood or coconut sources and not petroleum-based.
It is also very important to note the difference between food/supplement grade activated charcoal and other forms of charcoal. I hope it goes without saying, but I’ll say it to be safe:
Please do not use any other form of charcoal besides activated charcoal in your mouth or internally. Do not use leftover charcoal from a BBQ grill or charcoal briquettes. Do not use charcoal pencils or any other type of charcoal.
Charcoal Teeth Whitening FAQs
I’ve received some of the same questions about this process multiple times so I’ve asked friends who are dentists and done further research to try to answer them:
Does It Stain Crowns/Veneers/Fillings?
I don’t have any of these in a visible place to be able to share any firsthand experience. Readers have reported trying this method of teeth whitening without a problem on these types of surfaces, but I’d definitely recommend checking with your dentist before using this or anything else if you have any of these.
Does Charcoal Pull Calcium From the Teeth?
Another question that I’ve received often. As always, check with a dentist if you have concerns about your teeth and before using any substance to whiten them. From the research I found, charcoal binds mostly to organic compounds and not minerals so there should not be a concern of it pulling calcium from the teeth.
Is Charcoal Too Abrasive for Teeth?
This is one concern that some dental professionals have expressed about whitening teeth with charcoal and it is a valid concern. I was unable to find any research that evaluated how abrasive charcoal was to the surface of the teeth. A suggestion from my friend who is a dentist is to use the charcoal without brushing or scrubbing.
She suggested that anyone worried about charcoal being abrasive or anyone with sensitive teeth could accomplish the same thing by simply dabbing charcoal onto the surface of the teeth with a finger or cotton swab and letting it sit on the surface of the teeth for two minutes before swishing with water and rinsing.
This would allow the charcoal to come in contact with the surface of the tooth long enough to remove surface stains without the brushing or scrubbing action that could be too abrasive. Using a toothbrush with round-tip bristles is gentler on teeth and good for oral health in general, so considering switching to this type of toothbrush.
What Kind of Stains Does Charcoal Work On?
My dentist friend also advised me that activated charcoal will only work on surface stains that it is able to bind to, especially those from drinks like coffee and tea. It won’t usually work on teeth that have yellowed from antibiotics or other internal problems.
Whiter Teeth? An Update
Here’s a picture cropped from a photo at a family wedding so it looks pixelated). I’m super happy with the results!
After using the activated charcoal for a few months and swishing with diluted regular 3% hydrogen peroxide when I remember (at the recommendation of a dentist) I am really happy with how white my teeth have become!
p.s. An Update to the Update
I recently discovered this new tooth whitening product that whitens teeth with activated charcoal and LED light. So far it’s working even better than the activated charcoal alone, with the added bonus of making the process less messy. It even plugs into my phone for easy use when I travel.
Bottom Line on Tooth Whitening
I plan to continue whitening my teeth with activated charcoal, but if the whole black-teeth thing doesn’t appeal to you I have found a few other natural ways to whiten teeth. Check out this post to see how they measure up to the charcoal method.
And you’ve found other natural ways to maintain those pearly whites, let me know what works for you!
This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Scott Soerries, MD, Family Physician and Medical Director of SteadyMD. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
What do you think? Am I crazy? Would you try it for whitening your teeth?
In my Country (México) Indigenas clean their teeth with a burned tortilla, they have the whitest smile you’ve ever seen. I did it some few times and it really cleans your teeth.
My biggest question would be in regards to..what does it do to the enamal of the tooth…hydrogen peroxide will erode the enamal when used consistenly…enamal does not grow back and this leads to increased sensitivity of the tooth..amoung other issues. I do not want to take a chance on my enamal when it cannot grow back.
I’d check out the book Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel. Enamel actually can grow back, but it is actually remineralizing from the minerals in saliva (this is why diet is so important). The charcoal will not pull enamel off. Several dental hygienists have commented on this post on facebook and pinterest saying that it is safe.
to avoid the mess in the sink, I just step outside, brush my teeth, rinse and spit on the grass….no mess to clean up
Great idea!
I have read all the comments and am still confused. I am 45 & have yellow teeth from taking tetracycline when I was a kid in the 70’s. I had my teeth bleached at the dentist 10 years ago. My teeth aren’t quite as yellow but they are still in the yellow spectrum after the dentist bleaching. Does anyone know if this will work to get my teeth any whiter?
It might help pull some of the toxins and help lighten some… my husband had antibiotic related yellowing too and the dietary stuff was what really reversed it for him, especially the Fermented Cod Liver Oil and removing Phytic acid from the diet.
How do you remove Phytic acid from the diet & what is it??
So how is it best to administer to a baby/toddler (assuming food poisoning) – open a capsule into water and try to make them drink it? And how much is needed?
Also, for different poisonings, I’d assume capsules would take too long to dissolve in the system – it would have to be administered quickly in a liquid…correct?
Thanks!
If a baby/toddler ingested a poison, I would be going to emergency…its not something I would want to mess around with.
How does this comport with the fact that charcoal on burnt food is carcinogenic? Am I missing something here?
Two reasons: this charcoal isn’t from burnt flesh and those studies focused on consuming it internally in significant amounts. This type of charcoal is actually used in hospitals to remove toxins from the stomach in cases of drug overdose or poisoning
Live this article !!!! My mum has always told me this story of my pop. He always swore to everyone that charcoal made your teeth white so whenever anythings was charred ( meat wise ) on the BBQ etc he always ate it. Mum says he had the whitest teeth she knew. So I will be pleased to show her this blog post as although what he did was not quite the same I’m glad he knew 🙂
Thanks for sharing this! I found this really interesting and enjoyed the read. I will have to consider having some activated charcoal on hand at our house. 🙂
What about fillings? I have some new fillings that are the composite to look like my tooth. My fillings were expensive, so I hesitate to test this out and end up with black spots in those places.
Others have used it without a problem, but maybe try it on a little spot first to make sure? I’ve found that brushing with baking soda will get any excess charcoal off…
wonder how it would work with braces?
I’ve been using Edible Clay aka Calcium Montmorillonite/Green Clay/Red Clay for years to:
Whiten, exfoliate, and rid my teeth of germs (my dentist was shocked that I hadn’t seen her in 2 years with almost perfect teeth!), cleanse my intestines for weight loss, exfoliate my face and body, push out metals, parasites, bacteria, toxins from the body, relieve a stomach ache, and to create a natural band aid when I’ve cut myself (you add water and turn it into a thick mud which dries and stays on your skin). I finally divulged my secret about this a year ago and I have several friends and strangers who are hooked like me!
Where can the clay be purchased from?
Hello Leo’s,,,I just caught this on the thread ,I’m going thru comments on this activated charcoal, tell me more about audible clay and can I get it at a health food store? How do you use this for all those things you listed? Thank you so much
As an RN I wish you would have placed your warning at the top of your entry. AC not only changes the Ph of the mouth, but can change the Ph balance of the entire body, which can have dire consequences, particularly for patient s with specific medical conditions like Diabetes, COPD, Asthma, kindey and liver issues, etc. If you use it for poisoning, be sure to follow up with emergency care asap and if you plant to take it all, but especially regularly – discuss it with your physician and pharmacist.
Most physicians and pharmacists wouldn’t have a clue about it because it’s not made by a pharmaceutical. You are probably quoting something a pharmaceutical would say.
Wow – that comment was full of stereotyping! My husband is a physician and pharmacology is all chemistry and organic chemistry, so yes, they do understand basic chemistry. Just because its not made by a pharmaceutical company doesn’t mean that physicians and pharmacists don’t understand its chemistry and how the body responds metabolically. Your post was severely short-sighted. Of course physicians and pharmacists know all about chemicals – they use them every day!
I just tried this after coming from a cleaning at my dentist. I figured it would be a good time to start the whitening process. I opened a 520 mg. capsule of activated charcole that I got from Swanson Vitamins onto my wet toothbrush and brushed for two minutes then rinsed really well. I also should mention that I have a fixed, bonded bridge on my bottom front three teeth.
This in NO way stained any of my teeth and in fact, made them look really clean and I think whiter. I am going to continue the process a few more times to see if I can get more of a whitening effect, but this did NOT stain my bridge and also the charcole washed away really easily. Thanks for your really interesting website and keep these great ideas coming!
In south Asia where I’m from many people in villages who can’t afford toothpaste have used charcoal for centuries. It does work.
Have you tried using charcoal on Veeners or bridges? Just curious if those would stain since they are both artificial.
will try this but ill just buy charcoal the one local made from wood hope this help me whiten my teeth and prevent the gengi on my teeth thank will reply for results and how often did you use it ?and how long are the results will show up? and can this remove bad breath?
I will never try this again! It stained my teeth and now it looks darker then before. Also i can’t remove black between my teeth!
Rinse your mouth with water… The black will go away
How often can this be done? I tried it for the first time today and it produced absolutely AMAZING results on not only me but both of my parents as well!
My teeth did the same thing. I had to scrub with baking soda after and rinsed and rinsed and my gums are still black, all around the edge of the tooth. I imagine it will go away in a few days, but my actual teeth aren’t any whiter than before I started.
My concern is does it damage the enamel of the teeth. Would love to hear from the dentist who told you it’s good for whitening I find it’s to abrasive for the enamel.
It is not supposed to be abrasive at all. A couple of dental hygienists have confirmed in the comments on Pinterest that it isn’t abrasive. They also mentioned that baking soda can also be used for brushing to polish teeth.
As a dental hygienist, I would love to see some documented research on the microscopic abrasiveness of AC on the enamel before determining if this was a safe method or not. Please don’t take a dental hygienist’s word off of Pinterest as truth! I do have concerns with this, but do not have an answer without more research.
Thank you, Bethany. I am with you on this. I have used the AC about five times now. I have had white spots on my teeth since I was a child, something called Fluorosis. This is a defect of tooth enamel caused by too much fluoride intake during the first 8 years of life. Dentists had told me that my only hope was to whiten the rest of the area to the same bright white, which has never been possible in my 37 years. However, the last time I used AC, I actually achieved this…no more white spots! Great, right? I am not so sure. Aesthetically, it is a good thing, however this leads me to believe we are in fact removing enamel. I also have noticed increased sensitivity, which I have had an issue with in the past but have kept at bay by using Sensodyne Toothpaste. Since my last AC brushing the sensitivity has persisted. I have a Chemist friend and plan to run this all by him but will not use AC again until he says it is harmless. I can’t imagine that will be the case.
Charcoal is the most disgusting thing I’ve EVER tasted. It literally tastes like charcoal from the barbeque. This might work but I would never ever ever do it.
Did you try activated charcoal? I wouldn’t try regular charcoal, but medical grade activated charcoal.
Had a similar experience with McDeath…started feeling drunk and toxic after eating then came on the nausea and diarrhea. Quickly took a capsule, then dumped 2 caps in water and drank it. Only threw up twice and within half of an hour I was all better! I felt like I suddenly woke up. The fog was gone. Totally sold on charcoal as a poison remedy and will keep it always. Next up- trying to whiten my teeth with it!
you might be gluten sensitive. Those are the symptoms I get if I eat gluten products.
or msg sensitive. i often feel funky, foggy, and toxic after eating in restaurants. must be msg. although they don’t add it, it’s often hidden in sauces and seasonings used by restaurants.