Charcoal Toothbrush – Yes, It’s Better And Here’s Why

Charcoal bristled toothbrushes also called Binchotan, have become the go-to item for those wanting all-natural, trendy oral care.

Charcoal is a form of carbon

There are many dietary supplements claiming health benefits of charcoal. Common uses for charcoal include traveler’s diarrhea, snake bites, hangover prevention and bloating. However, the most common use of activated charcoal is treating certain types of poisoning. PubMed list 376 articles with activated charcoal in the title. Of those 157  were on humans and 0 dealt with toothbrush bristles. Scientists probably won’t prioritize toothbrush bristle studies. Therefore, we must apply objective reasoning and a little chemistry

Activated charcoal is not grill charcoal

Activated charcoal is created from hardwoods and coconut shells. When processed with oxygen the surface area is dramatically increased. As an example, one gram of activated charcoal has a surface area if 2000m² which is slightly less than half a football field. It’s this massive surface area and natural bonding ability of carbon that creates the absorption of the charcoal bristle toothbrush. Hence the term “Activated”. This type of carbon is looking to grab or bond to something; hopefully stain and bacteria.

So, will a charcoal toothbrush whiten your teeth?

I am tempted to say yes after cleaning so many mouths. Tooth dulling stains such as Coffee, Tea, Red Wine, and Soy Sauce will all be susceptible to the attraction of activated carbon. Some of this will occur at a molecular level, while the rest will be direct physical entrapment. It’s essentially a toothbrush bristle that acts like a sponge.

How about antibacterial/antiviral properties?

Carbon is alkaline with 4 valence electrons making it highly electrical with a negative charge.  Since opposite charges attract, we can conclude that a positively charged bacteria or virus will bond to a negatively charged atom of activated charcoal. So once again the answer is yes. The science goes way beyond this last statement and there are exceptions, but a charcoal toothbrush will give you more benefit over a standard toothbrush.

What is a Good Charcoal Toothbrush?

I’ve been cleaning mouths for a long time, I’ve heard it all and smelt it all. The best toothbrush is the one you use… correctly. I stress correctly because most people don’t. 75 percent of Americans will experience gum disease at some point according to the CDC. If your gums bleed when you brush or floss you need to make a change. Most of us brush in a completely random,  scrub motion, without considering angles or positions.

MD Brush with Activated Charcoal  

The MD Brush is the first manual toothbrush designed to break the routine of poor brushing and help you THINK and BRUSH like a Dental Professional using the 45 degrees Method. Brushing this way is more effective than sonic toothbrushes.  The MD Brush will improve your brushing technique and help your brush more completely, with greater efficiency than ever before until the Bass method becomes second nature. Adding charcoal bristles to the design just makes the brush that much better.

More Charcoal Brush Thoughts from AuthorityDental.org

Written by
Mike Davidson, Maverick Dental Hygienist, and CEO\