A dazzling white smile has long been seen as something to aspire to, but how far would you be willing to go to ensure that your pearly whites are, well, white?

A random new trend has been gaining momentum in the blogosphere recently as online beauty gurus have started endorsing the use of charcoal as a tooth whitener.

Activated charcoal – a powder created when carbon is treated with an oxidising agent – is now being used to whiten teeth, as people believe the black stuff’s adhesive nature will bind with stains and remove them.

According to Oddity Central, the formula is commonly used in medical environments to treat poisonings and drug overdoses and while it is an excellent absorber of bad substances, it is equally good at removing healthy substances from the body.

Activated charcoal can be bought in supplement form.  Once a capsule of the substance is opened and mixed with water, it turns into a paste which can be used like regular toothpaste.

A dental expert told Indy100 that there is no scientific evidence to support the use of charcoal as a tooth whitener, so those encouraging its use are doing so solely based on their own experiences.

While its benefits have yet to be properly tested, activated charcoal toothpaste sure does make for a murky-looking mouth.