Toss that charcoal toothpaste! Dentists list surprising worst oral offenders

Seemingly 'healthy' behaviors are actually nightmares for oral health.

Here's a startling fact: Ninety-one percent of Americans over the age of 20 have had cavities at some point in their lives. What's even worse is the 27 percent of adults over 20 have untreated caries, according to a report by the American Dental Association. Sure, a great deal of those cavity-stricken patients may not have adequate access to quality dental care, but many dentists also believe common American lifestyle habits and foods may be fueling the fire.

Follow me to see more articles like this.

...

Follow

As it turns out, some of the foods and health supplements we treasure the most are on popular dentists' hit lists of worst offenders.

Dentists warn you should NEVER put these things in your mouth:

Dried fruit

If you think all those fiber-filled dried apricots, cherries, prunes, and other trail mix goodies are 'good' for your health, think again -- becauset they're definitely not friendly to your oral health. Elyse Kerschner, a board certified pediatric dentist with offices in New York and New Jersey warns agains some of the health foods parents tend to give their children. "The sneakiest snack that people think is healthy but is actually terrible for your teeth is dried fruit," explains Dr. Kerschner. "Even though it’s 'natural sugar,' all of it is concentrated and sticks to the chewing surfaces. Kids especially will just let their raisins or dried mango sit on their teeth."

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

She suggests sticking to fresh fruit, or, if you're absolutely in love with dried fruit and must have it, make sure it's mixed with nuts or other crunchy textures that may help dislodge sticky residues as you chew.

Nails, cuticles, and fingers

If you think your pesky nail-biting habit is only destroying your potential for a great manicure -- think again. "Aside from from living in this post-COVID world and the viral transmission considerations, many people don't realize how much damage digit habits can cause their teeth and bites," shares Adam Schulhof, DMD, an orthodontist practicing in New Jersey and the co-founder of Grin. "Thumb-sucking and finger-sucking, for instance, can actually move teeth and change the shape of one's jaws."

When it comes to nail biting, it's one of the most commonly-found culprits behind serious dental damage. "Many people with this habit tend to wear and chip the edges of their teeth over time," Schulhof details.

Emery boards

This Tik Tok trend has spread to every other popular social media network too, and it's downright terrifying for responsible oral care experts. "A terrible tooth Tik Tok trend (say that 5 times fast) that's emerged is filing your own teeth down with an emery board or nail file," says Schulhof. "This can severely damage teeth. Removing enamel is not something to be done without proper training and knowledge. Removing too much enamel can cause severe sensitivity and even nerve damage."

Credit: YouTube

If you think this trend isn't really that popular, you'll be surprised to learn scores of popular YouTubers and Instagram Reels content creators have also piled on the trend. Videos like this one are basically horror films for dentists.

Charcoal toothpaste, or charcoal-anything else

It's time to toss that trendy charcoal toothpaste (although anyone with common sense is still wondering why looking like a dark-toothed pirate ever became a social media sensation). "Contrary to popular belief, charcoal is not effective in whitening," says Matt Nejad, DMD, a Beverly Hills cosmetic dentist. "In fact, charcoal can potentially cause damage to your teeth with long-term use. Safe and significant whitening results require chemical whitening or bleaching of the tooth to both remove stain and also to whiten the natural color of teeth without damaging them. Charcoal is not able to make this type of change, and instead relies on abrasion to remove surface stains. When you use charcoal, the whole mouth becomes dark temporarily, which makes the teeth appear whiter, but this doesn't translate to actual whitening of the tooth."

Photo by Chris Slupski on Unsplash

He adds that in general, patients should be very conservative with new products because there is more chance of causing harm than doing good until they are tested and studied extensively -- and charcoal is exactly the type of hyped-up ingredient he's fearful of. "The abrasiveness of charcoal is potentially too high, causing wear and damage to enamel over time. Other methods of whitening are proven to be safe and effective and charcoal is not recommended at all."

Pens, pencils, pen caps

"For that matter, any object that is chewed on will lead to problems," Nejad says of this all-too-common habit. "Like nail-biting, chewing on pens, pencils, or pen caps will cause damage, chipping, and wearing of the teeth. In some cases, it causes teeth to move and result in an open bite or separation of the front teeth. Habits like this result in more dental visits, repairs, and restorations to maintain and protect the appearance and health of the teeth."

Photo by Kim Gorga on Unsplash

If you're prone to chewing on pens or other objects, it may be because you're over-stressed. This study showed that chewing habits are one of our brain's many ways of coping with cognitive stress overload, and the effects are instantly tangible according to another study published in Psychology Today. This habit can be especially difficult to break, so it's worth discussing with a health expert and researching new, healthier coping mechanisms.

Gummy vitamins

We know, we know. This seemingly healthy and very easy to enjoy item is fully marketed as a nutritious savior and offered with everything from multivitamin formulas to fiber. Unfortunately, they're bad news for teeth. "These supplements are one of the worst offenders for tooth and gum issues. No matter if they’re used by kids or adults, forgetting to brush right after leaves the sugary and gummy substance attached to the teeth, causing damage as the day goes by," outlines Steven D. Spitz, DMD, a popular Boston, Massachusetts dentist.

"Because they are a quick ‘snack’ there is no urgency to brush teeth, leaving the sticky, chewy, sugary, and gummy substance sitting right up against the teeth and crevices. The sugar turns into acids feeding the normal bacteria in the mouth, breaking down tooth structure, and causing damage throughout the day. Individuals invest the time and money for supplements with the belief that they are making their health a high priority. In order to keep dental health as a priority as well, brushing or even chewing a sugarless gum, will keep the sugar to a minimum.”

Here's something to smile about:

It's not all gloom and doom for your chompers. In fact, if you can keep fingers and foreign objects out of your mouth and keep just about anything sweet and sticky away from your chompers, you have plenty of power to keep your oral health in check between dental visits. One recent study showed that this year's most popular diet, intermittent fasting, actually helped slow dental decay without any additional efforts. Another popular weight-management fad, the Alkaline Diet, also seems to have positive effects on oral health thanks to consuming foods with higher pH levels and less overall acidity.

Better yet, your olive oil habit may be helping you more than you know. Don't feel guilty drizzling a little on your next salad, grilled veggies, or other mouth-watering meal, because researchers at the University of Madrid discovered that olive oil's antibacterial property, oleuropein, likely protects against dental decay and gum disease over prolonged periods of time.