Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/10/07/get-whiter-teeth-after-just-on.html
…
So you’re not planning on also mentioning the risks of using charcoal?
5 Likes
These sketchy marketplace offers hurt the BoingBoing brand. Please only put up things for sale that you have used, can vouch for and are the same price or less than the cost of buying elsewhere.
37 Likes
Charcoal’ss whitening ability is the just the fact it’s an abrasive (same thing with baking soda), and abrading the enamel isn’t actually that good for teeth long term.
17 Likes
Charcoal works like a charm for tooth whitening.
It is an abrasive.
So your teeth will actually look whiter. Until you wear your enamel of.
10 Likes
I have to admit the boingboing store ads often come off as pure snake oil sales techniques.
15 Likes
Also gluten free!!! Contains no palm oil! Non-caloric! You won’t believe all the things it’s not!!!
22 Likes
Reminds me of a line from Huckleberry Finn
“Well, I’d been selling an article to take the tartar off the teeth—and it does take it off, too, and generly the enamel along with it”
10 Likes
On a more serious note, the claims in the OP are unsubstantiated.
Charcoal and charcoal-based dentifrices: a literature review:
Conclusions
The results of this literature review showed insufficient clinical and laboratory data to substantiate the safety and efficacy claims of charcoal and charcoal-based dentifrices. Larger-scale and well-designed studies are needed to establish conclusive evidence.
Practical Implications
Dental clinicians should advise their patients to be cautious when using charcoal and charcoal-based dentifrices with unproven claims of efficacy and safety.
https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(17)30412-9/fulltext
Which suggests the OP’s specific claim that “It’s the safest treatment around” is straight up counterfactual.
Excessive abrasion can remove healthy enamel and make teeth yellower and less resistant to decay by exposing the underlying dentin.
13 Likes
As for the blue LED, completely pointless. There is nothing about blue light and charcoal, peroxide, or fluoride for that matter when applied to the teeth that enhances whitening. It’s a psychological gimmick to help you convince yourself it’s more effective than it really is. Some professional treatments have light curing resin that is applied to the gums etc to prevent chemical burns.
11 Likes
I’m waiting for the Boing Boing store branded vaginal egg
15 Likes
Since I looked in to it blue light will work with peroxide if it contains titanium dioxide to catalyze a faster break down of the peroxide when expose blue/uv light for faster bleaching.
3 Likes
I happen to be fond of my ivory-yellow, not white teeth, thank you very much.
5 Likes
Also, the image in the post is not an actual before and after example of using the product. It’s a stock photo with what appear to be Photoshopped teeth. Not sure if that is, ahem, Kosher.
24 Likes
I wonder if this is to do with the appearance of yellowed teeth under blue light. It’s a pretty complex scenario, and I don’t have (nor care to acquire) a sample of the charcoal treatment with which to experiment. But it may be that focus group participants reported perceiving the teeth as whiter after observing the contrast. Blue light will make yellow surfaces look black, so removing the light source would make the teeth seem paler for a while. But a lot depends on the specific physical properties of the light source, the treatment substance, and – massively – on the application protocol. This is almost certainly as much about the perceived appearance of the teeth as it is about their actual appearance.
1 Like
For all of BB’s holier-than-thou articles you’d think they’d stop this type of snake oil.
Many, if not most of their “offers” - when they aren’t snake oil - can be found at a better price on, for example Amazon.
I’ve had to get refunds a few times for things that were totally misrepresented and such I won’t buy anything from here. In fact, I discount almost anything said here for that reason.
12 Likes
GoopSocial? 
6 Likes
Next up in the BB store, a combo coffee & charcoal enema kit!
3 Likes
Cold pressed coffee and hand crafted, artisanal charcoal.
5 Likes
