The risks behind teeth whitening activated charcoal

The charcoal teeth whitener is the new big thing when it comes to beautiful teeth and ads for it are flooding social media feeds.

The product promises whiter teeth in mere minutes.

One user, Kristina Ray, learned about the fad on Facebook.

“I was about to get married so I was like, meh, I'll give it a shot," Ray said.

Ray told Action News Jax she recommends the product to people with teeth sensitivity.

Riverside dentist, Megan Moshea, says charcoal teeth whitener may have hidden effects most people may not realize.

“That activated charcoal basically bonds impurities that could be present on the teeth. When you spit that out you basically remove that surface stain," Moshea said.

Tooth enamel could be removed in addition to stains on peoples’ teeth Moshea said.

"You're breaking it up with water, those larger particles can be very abrasive with continued use," Moshea explained.

A 2017 study on the products found that activated charcoal did not show to be effective or safe.

Both the powder and the paste versions of the charcoal teeth whitening products have not been approved by the American Dental Association.

Cox Media Group