Charcoal toothbrushes are a good alternative to plastic toothbrushes and offer whitening effects. Here’s a complete buying guide that will help you choose the right charcoal toothbrush for yourself.
Why Choose a Charcoal Toothbrush Over Regular Ones
Here are some reasons why a charcoal toothbrush is a better choice over regular ones:
Whitening effect
Charcoal toothbrushes are well known for their whitening effect. They are designed in a fashion that helps reduce stains and calculus on the teeth. Hence, your teeth appear more whitened, and as a result, you smile a bit brighter. These brushes have tighter bristles that clean your teeth on a microscopic level. The bristles themselves aren’t tough, rather quite soft and thin as compared to regular toothbrushes. That's why they perform a thorough cleaning job as opposed to their counterparts.
Thorough cleaning
Charcoal brushes contain tight bristles that effectively clean your teeth. These brushes aren’t as tough as your regular brushes, but this feature helps improve their functionality. Since it is a soft brush, it doesn’t cause trauma to your gums hence preserving your oral health. A healthy mouth avoids bacterial invasion of gums and tissues thus avoiding infections later on.
You can easily remove small plaque and some tartar with these brushes. It might take some effort to do the job perfectly, but once you learn the way, it becomes a routine.
Stain removal
These toothbrushes have charcoal-infused bristles. Due to this property, they efficiently remove any small extrinsic stains on teeth. Though they might not get rid of stubborn stains, they can easily help reduce staining like caffeine stains and smoke stains. And when paired with regular dental checkups, a charcoal brush can really help your smile appear shinier and brighter.
Antibacterial properties
Because these brushes contain activated charcoal, they act as natural bacteriocides. Unlike regular toothbrushes, they don’t sweep the bacteria around in the oral cavity. Rather, they absorb it due to the natural properties of activated charcoal.
And this property isn’t only limited to bacteria. These brushes can absorb many other foreign bodies like plaque, fungi, and other problem-causing sources.
Some Drawbacks of Charcoal Brushes You Should Know About
Despite being quite popular, charcoal toothbrushes are not exactly perfect. Here are some limitations of using one:
Not exactly dentist approved
While useful in many aspects, charcoal toothbrushes are still not quite popular in the dentist community. It is not exactly a professional choice when it comes to prescribing toothbrushes. The reason is that though they do work in the majority of cases, there isn’t much research that supports the superiority of these brushes over regular ones.
Shorter life
Though sustainable, charcoal brushes have a shorter lifespan. Because these brushes are made with wood as compared to their plastic counterparts, they can easily decompose thus proving to be an ecological option. That said, the bristles on the brush are very fine so, you have to replace them frequently.
Not effective on fillings
Charcoal brushes have received much appreciation for their brightening effects. But, they render useless when it comes to filled teeth. These brushes do not work on fillings or prosthetic crowns hence not effective for such patients. If you also have dental fillings or crowns, you might want to avoid these toothbrushes.
How Does a Charcoal Brush Work
Charcoal brushes work on the simple principle of absorption. These brushes contain activated charcoal-infused bristles. This charcoal is a natural exfoliator and helps clean the tooth surface on a microscopic level.
Other than that, activated charcoal is also quite beneficial when it comes to absorbing foreign particles. When you use a charcoal toothbrush, it cleanses your teeth while also absorbing infection-causing particles like bacteria and fungi.
These brushes are made with small soft bristles. This property helps them remove plaque without damaging the overlying mucosa. As a result, it prevents tissue injury and promotes good oral health.
Toothbrush Care Tips
Charcoal or not, your toothbrush requires proper care and maintenance to keep it in an optimum state. Here are some tips to help you point in the right direction:
Change your brush frequently
It is a general understanding that you should change your brush regularly. Brushes tend to get rough with time and their bristles get hard and open up. And, such a brush is useless to give optimum results. It not only lacks in providing good cleaning, but it also damages your gums and traumatizes your soft tissues. That is why, when your brush bristles start to open up, you should throw it out and get a new one.
Use a cap, always
Caps are a must for toothbrush care. If you don’t have one, you can get any standard cap but make sure that you cover your brush after using it. That gives your brush a shelter from the external environment hence preventing any chances of contamination. Though it is not 100% sterile, it is still better than leaving your brush out in the open.
Conclusion
Charcoal brushes have become a common trend in 2022. From celebrity features to home kits, these brushes are everywhere. They are an ecologically responsible option and above we discussed some of the best ones available on the market in 2022. We also discussed general tips for toothbrush care along with its benefits and drawbacks.
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