I read that you can naturally whiten your teeth with charcoal. I’ve heard of people ingesting charcoal and it being safe, so there must be some truth in it. But, will it actually work? I’ve whitened my teeth at my dentist’s before using Zoom. But I didn’t know how hard it is for people with sensitive teeth. I found the process painful. A natural alternative sounds like a great idea for me. I’ve been wanting a touch-up.
Carolyn L.
Dear Carolyn,
Can Charcoal Whiten Your Teeth?
First, I want to make sure anyone reading this knows that those who’ve made this method popular are talking about activated charcoal and not the briquettes used for grilling. Interest in whitening teeth with charcoal is on the rise because of some YouTube videos.
While charcoal is safe to ingest and has medicinal applications, teeth whitening isn’t one of them. While it will absorb stains, it will actually damage your enamel. The end result will be teeth that pick up stains much more quickly and easily. That is not the goal of anyone looking for options for teeth whitening.
Can You Use Zoom Teeth Whitening if You Have Sensitive Teeth?
It’s a shame your dentist didn’t warn you about the issue with sensitive teeth, especially because you have a couple of great options. If you’re in need of a touch-up, here’s what I’d recommend.
- If you like the convenience of Zoom’s one appointment whitening, your dentist can give you a bottle of fluoride treatments to use for a couple of weeks before your appointment. This minimizes your pain. I’d also recommend taking some ibuprofen about an hour before treatment and then acetaminophen after.
- Take-Home Teeth Whitening. While Zoom works much faster, it’s also much stronger. Your dentist can make custom-fitted whitening trays for your bite and give you a professional teeth whitening gel to use with them. You can just wear them for a minimum of twenty minutes a day until you reach the level of whitening you need. This is much less painful and you can just whiten to your level of comfort. Plus, it’s usually the preferred option for touch-ups anyway. Another benefit is you can keep the trays and use them again for the next time you want to brighten things up again. Then, your only cost is the gel.
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