We all want brighter teeth … but does it have to come at a cost to our gums and enamel? Believe it or not, you can naturally whiten teeth safely at home without the dangerous harsh chemicals.
A quick Pinterest search for natural teeth whitening will return a wide array of alternatives to painful and damaging chemical bleaching products. It seems that everyone wants white teeth these days and a lot of people are willing to do just about anything to get them! … Except learn about how to keep their teeth strong and clean naturally in the first place.
Harsh whitening toothpastes and bleaching strips can actually damage your teeth and make them more susceptible to stains or even cavities in the future. Natural remedies, on the other hand, can remove stains, remineralize teeth, AND even reverse existing damage!
Does it actually work?
I hear you. When I first looked into how to naturally whiten teeth with charcoal, I was skeptical, too … but also excited. I was familiar with charcoal water filters and I’ve heard about activated charcoal as a first response for poison control, but I still wasn’t sure that it could actually whiten my teeth.
I’ve certainly put my teeth through the wringer over the years with coffee, tea, wine, and soda. I’m familiar with stains and I’ve used plenty of different whitening strips and toothpastes. Nothing ever works and the stains come back even worse after the enamel stripping that comes along with whitening strips.
While I may not have ever considered activated charcoal to naturally whiten teeth, I figured it certainly couldn’t hurt more than anything I’ve already done. Since trying it the first time, I’ve used it three times a week and my mouth feels amazing. Each time my mouth has that “just got back from the dentist” clean feeling … without all of the poking and prodding that the dentist does!
How DOES charcoal naturally whiten teeth?
Activated charcoal is a highly absorbent substance which removes toxins when they adhere to the surface of the charcoal. It can pull good and bad organic and chemical compounds from surfaces, whether that’s on your teeth or all the way into the stomach. Any charcoal that passes through the body pulls toxins into it and passes through intact, reducing potential damage to an individual. I always keep some on-hand for food poisoning for this reason!
Charcoal is a great tool to cleanse the mouth and body, but it does need to be used with a degree of caution. Like anything else, moderation is key. Activated charcoal shouldn’t be used around the time of taking medications or vitamins which need to be absorbed, and it has minimized effectiveness if taken with dairy. If taken or used too frequently, it might cause constipation or dehydration. Even though you spit most of it out when using it to whiten your teeth, it doesn’t need to be consumed daily.
How to use charcoal to naturally whiten teeth
Using activated charcoal on your teeth is a lot of fun. And what’s a lot of fun without getting a little dirty? Let’s do this!
Step 1: Prepare
Charcoal can stain tile, grout, and clothing. But it doesn’t have to if you’re careful. It will also look a bit frightening while your teeth are covered in black soot. Fair warning! Don’t let charcoal drool drip onto your clothes. Trust me. Once you’re mentally prepared, you’re ready to get your teeth whiter … by getting them black first.
Step 2: Get your supplies together
You can find activated charcoal at your local health food store or online in powder or capsule form. Make sure that you are only using food-grade activated charcoal and not any other kind of charcoal. Run in the opposite direction from anything resembling a charcoal grill briquette!
Step 3: Brush for two minutes
Dip a clean, damp toothbrush into the charcoal powder, or empty a capsule onto your toothbrush. Cover every surface of your teeth and gums with the charcoal. You can even use it on your tongue if you are so inclined! Brush for two minutes or just cover all of the surfaces of your teeth and let it sit for two minutes. Your choice! The most important thing is the contact between the charcoal and your teeth.
Step 4: Rinse & spit (carefully)
Once your two minutes are up, spit and rinse really, really well. Before you spit and rinse, you will notice that your mouth is black. Not sort of gray or even spotted like a Dalmatian, but black. Almost like you just ate a charcoal briquette. Which you sort of did. (Notice I said sort of – do not try this with any other kind of charcoal aside from activated charcoal. A briquette from the BBQ or charcoal from pencils do not have the same absorbent properties as activated charcoal!) Don’t be alarmed! Although it may be alarming, all of that blackness will wash away when you rinse and spit. Promise.
Step 5: Brush again
You may want to brush your teeth again afterwards with a natural toothpaste. This will help make sure that any remaining charcoal spots between your teeth or gums get scrubbed away. Either way, your mouth will look and feel amazingly clean after you rinse.
Final step: The finished product
Go ahead – smile at yourself in the mirror and revel in the majesty that is the clean mouth you have now! (And then make sure to rinse out your sink when you’re done to prevent the charcoal from staining.)
Black mouth, white teeth. Now what?
Removing stains from the surface and pulling toxins from your mouth is an excellent first step in natural oral care. After just a few weeks of brushing with charcoal, I’ve noticed that my teeth don’t seem nearly as stained as before!
But did you know that you can go further? It is possible to not only whiten your teeth, but also strengthen and remineralize your pearly whites at the same time. This will help prevent future damage and restore any previous damage. Some people have even had experiences of reversing cavities.
Remineralizing teeth is actually best achieved by a two part process. This includes a topical remineralizing toothpaste and longer term changes in diet in order to increase the remineralizing properties present in saliva. While the toothpaste recipe is easy to create and follow, more information about the remineralizing diet (and its role in reversing cavities) can be found over at Wellness Mama.
Remineralizing toothpaste recipe
This recipe can be made in as big or as small of a batch as you like provided you keep the ratios the same. If each part is one tablespoon (meaning 5 parts would be 5 tablespoons) then this recipe will almost fill a ½ pint glass jar.
- 5 parts Calcium powder
- 2 parts Baking Soda
- 3-5 parts coconut oil to get desired texture
- 1 part Diatomaceous Earth (this is optional as it contains trace minerals and silica; it can also be abrasive and is not necessary with the baking soda)
- 3 parts Xylitol powder (another optional ingredient; this just keeps it from tasting bitter).
- Optional ingredients: Essential oils for flavor (mint, cinnamon, and orange are all good), Myrrh and Trace Minerals
1) Mix all powdered ingredients (calcium, Baking Soda, Diatomaceous Earth, Xylitol) well in a bowl.
2) Add Coconut Oil one part at a time until you get desired consistency.
3) Add any optional ingredients, including Essential Oils for flavor
4) Store in small container like ½ pint glass jar. To use, either dip clean toothbrush into it, or use a Popsicle stick or spoon to put on toothbrush.
So, go ahead and give it a try! Use activated charcoal every few days to pull stains from your teeth and the remineralizing toothpaste two to three times a day. Just use it in place of conventional toothpaste! Over time your smile will get whiter, brighter, and even stronger.
I personally like to add a little peppermint essential oil to mine for that minty fresh breath we all have been accustomed to since childhood. Bonus: peppermint itself is amazing for our overall health! You can learn all about this powerful little herb here.
Leave a Reply