Want to know if you can use charcoal toothpaste for teeth whitening with braces? If yes, you are in the right place. The use of charcoal for teeth whitening has become popular but is it recommended for people with braces as well?
It’s better to use whitening treatments after removing your braces. When you use charcoal toothpaste with braces, the charcoal powder can be stuck in the nooks of the brackets. After removing the braces, the surface under the braces won’t match what’s been exposed to the charcoal toothpaste.
There are a lot of whitening treatments that you can go for. Moreover, if you want to learn the advantages and disadvantages of charcoal toothpaste, read further!
Is Charcoal Toothpaste Safe to Use with Braces?
Everyone wants a shiny, bright, and aligned smile. So people use braces and whitening agents to get a good set of teeth. One of the most common teeth whitening methods is brushing your teeth with charcoal toothpaste or charcoal powder.
It is effective for extrinsic staining from coffee, tea, wine, etc. With time, you can notice betterment in the color of your teeth after using charcoal toothpaste.
However, charcoal toothpaste contains a charcoal powder that can be stuck on the crevices of braces. Unfortunately, removing this powder can take a lot of time, and you still might not be able to remove it completely.
Moreover, the charcoal toothpaste won’t affect the enamel under the brackets. So, when you remove your braces, there can be a difference in the color of your exposed and unexposed teeth.
All that said, charcoal toothpaste is pretty popular, with popular brands like Crest and Colgate both offering charcoal toothpaste options (links to Amazon). So, is this toothpaste right for you? Can it help manage braces or does it make any difference at all?
Should You Use Charcoal Toothpaste with Braces?
If you’re wondering about the pros and cons of using charcoal toothpaste with braces, you’re in the right place. However, before trying out any new whitening method for your teeth, it is better to learn everything about it. Let’s find out the pros and cons of charcoal toothpaste with braces!
Pros and Cons of Using Charcoal Toothpaste
Using charcoal toothpaste can remove old coffee, wine, and tea stains. In addition, it can give you the appearance of a brighter, pearl-like smile.
Scrubbing your teeth too hard with charcoal toothpaste can wear away part of your enamel due to the abrasiveness, which can lead to sensitivity. Therefore, you should brush your teeth with mild strokes while using charcoal toothpaste.
Moreover, it isn’t recommended to brush your teeth with charcoal toothpaste more than thrice a week. Once a day, three times a week is more than enough.
It is better to wait till your braces are removed before using charcoal toothpaste. It is because when you remove the braces, the surface underneath will have a different color than the rest of the surface.
Charcoal toothpaste doesn’t contain fluoride, which is an essential mineral for the strengthening of your teeth. As a result, using charcoal toothpaste every time you brush your teeth can end up doing more harm than good for your oral health.
Removing charcoal powder from the nooks of your braces won’t be any less than a hassle. So, the best practice is to wait until you remove your braces and decide what kind of whitening treatment is better for you.
Other Options to Whiten Teeth
We have some great options if you want an alternative to charcoal toothpaste for teeth whitening. With technology, we have multiple teeth whitening treatments, some quicker than others. So, let’s find out about them!
Whitening Toothpaste
Whitening toothpaste with fluoride and hydrogen peroxide is great at removing stains from your teeth. The process might take some time to show results, but these kinds of toothpaste aren’t abrasive. So, you can use them in your daily routine without worrying about damaging your enamel like charcoal toothpaste.
Fluoride will make your smile brighter, strengthen your enamel, and keep your teeth cavity-free. You can get the Colgate Optic Renewal Teeth Whitening Toothpaste (on Amazon). It contains fluoride and hydrogen peroxide, which are reliable whitening agents.
In-Office Bleaching
Bleaching is a whitening process performed by your dentist at a clinic. First, the dentist uses a special tray shaped like a mouthguard and places whitening gel on it. Next, the tray is placed inside your mouth, surrounding your teeth. After some time, it is removed, and you have a brighter smile.
It can take 1-2 visits. The issue is that the color of your teeth underneath the braces will remain the same. However, when you remove your braces, there will be a difference in the color of the exposed and unexposed portions of your teeth.
Whitening Strips
Whitening strips work as an at-home bleaching treatment. The only difference is that they are milder than in-office treatment. First, these strips are coated with teeth whitening gel. Then, you place them on your teeth and wait for them to work.
The issue remains the same the surface under the braces won’t be affected. So, it is better to wait until your braces are removed before using a whitening treatment.
