My sister got some charcoal toothpaste from an online shop and keeps telling me it's better than regular toothpaste for whitening. But I've also heard it might be too abrasive and mess up your enamel. Before I spend money on it, does anyone actually know if this stuff works or if it's just another trend?
Are you looking to whiten, or mostly just keep your teeth clean? Charcoal toothpaste does have some mild whitening effect because it's abrasive - it scrubs away surface stains better than regular paste. The catch is that same abrasiveness can wear down enamel over time if you use it too often, and once enamel's gone, it doesn't come back. Most dentists suggest charcoal toothpaste is fine occasionally (maybe a few times a week) but shouldn't be your daily driver. If whitening is your goal, professional treatments or whitening strips tend to be safer and actually more effective than charcoal.
Don't use charcoal toothpaste every day - that's where people run into trouble. The abrasiveness works to scrub away surface stains, yeah, but daily use can gradually wear down enamel, and once that's gone you're stuck with it. I tried some stuff my wife bought a few years back and used it regularly for a couple months; my dentist pointed out my enamel was getting thinner in spots and told me to knock it off. If you want to use it at all, maybe once or twice a week max, and stick with regular toothpaste the rest of the time.
The whitening effect is real but mild - it's basically just mechanical abrasion removing the gunk that builds up on the surface. You'll get better, safer results from actual whitening treatments or just being consistent with normal toothpaste and flossing. Save the charcoal stuff for an occasional thing if you want, but don't let anyone convince you it's some miracle product.
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