When you talk about your smile, most of us want it to be its whitest and brightest.
There are so many treatments out there promising to do just that. Fresh on the market is Active Bright. It claims to use activated charcoal to whiten teeth and remove stains. So, we decided to see how it works.
For years Kristen McMahon has wanted pearly whites, “That’s the first thing that people look at whenever they look at you,”said McMahon.
We asked if she'd be willing to try Active Bright’s Activated Coconut Charcoal Powder. The benefits listed on the packaging gave McMahon some hope, "It says its great for sensitive teeth which is what I have,” she said.
We got our jars of active bright, a soft toothbrush, and brushed for two minutes, as directed.
We had the activated coconut charcoal all over our face, clothes, and all in the cracks of our teeth.
McMahon was not a fan of the taste, “it says it’s peppermint flavor but I don’t taste peppermint," she said.
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The feeling wasn’t too nice for our sensitive teeth either, “The back of my teeth, like in the back, they are kinda sore,” she said.
Kristen and I both agreed a little mess and bad taste would be worth it if our teeth instantly got as white as they did on the box.
“I will say my teeth do feel clean. I do have a clean feeling in my mouth, it’s just not white,” said McMahon.
The makers of Active Bright told us: “Active Bright has been found to be more effective in removing stained dental pellicles (film) from your teeth in comparison to other American Dental Association approved products. The mild stinging you described may have been the sensation of the coconut charcoal which absorbs the plaque and bacteria. She should not worry as active bright is gentle and can be used every day.”
They encouraged us to use less powder, which we did and it was less messy.
While we did like how clean our mouth felt and some stains were likely gone we didn't have dramatically whiter teeth.
McMahon says, “I might keep using it to see, but I don’t have high expectations at all”.
Active Bright also said the condition of your teeth prior to use may effect an outcome. The company says its studies and tests were conducted and reviewed using FDA policies.
Kristen says she’s going to keep trying it out and I will too and we'll post on Facebook if we think our teeth have gotten any whiter.
You can also head to @wayneresponds on facebook to tell me if there's something out there you're thinking about buying but are on the fence.