Baking Soda: Using it for Oral and Dental Care

If you are looking for a cheap and effective home remedy for your oral and dental care, then baking soda or bicarbonate soda is the key to it.

You might have heard a lot of some remedies for teeth whitening, bleeding gums, bad breath, etc.

However, 1 thing common in all those home remedies is the use of baking soda.

Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate can help you with oral and dental care without causing any harm to the enamel of your teeth.

You can whiten your teeth with the help of different procedures of dentistry like zoom teeth whitening, scaling, and polishing.

If you do not want to visit your dentist every 6 months for these procedures, then you can use baking soda as an effective home remedy.

Learn more about the pros and cons of using baking soda, and how to whiten your teeth using baking soda.

Effective Home Remedy for Teeth Whitening

If you love drinking coffee, tea, and other beverages hen you should be well aware of the fact that they can stain your teeth and cause yellow teeth.

For many people, a big and bright smile is a huge boost to their confidence, and will try anything to whiten their teeth.

There are different in-office teeth whitening techniques dentists use to whiten your teeth.

In some cases, you can get exhausted and tired of visiting your doctor and spending money on these procedures.

However, if you are looking for effective remedies, then you can use baking soda to whiten your teeth.

According to studies, it is an effective home remedy to remove stains and is an effective ingredient for oral care.

How does Baking powder Work to Whiten your Teeth?

Baking soda is an alkaline thus altering the acid ingredients in your mouth and also producing carbon dioxide when you mix it in warm water.

Baking powder is an effective whitening therapy you can use at home because it is a mildly abrasive powder that helps to remove the stains on your teeth.

Moreover, because it is alkaline and salty, it lightens the stains of coffee, tea, and other beverages.

One of the easiest ways to use this remedy is to simply mix it in your toothpaste.

Mix about 1 tbs of baking soda in 1 tbs of warm water or hot water in a small part, and prepare a paste. After a thick paste form, apply it on your teeth with fingers or with a soft-bristled toothbrush.

To get the most of it, brush for at least 2 minutes in circular motions and make sure to cover all your teeth.

Gently brush your teeth with this paste, and keep in mind not to brush your teeth too harshly or use too much force.

After 2 minutes, spit out the baking soda and rinse your mouth thoroughly with water or a mouthwash.

Using Baking Soda with Other Ingredients

If you are looking for more intense whitening, you can use over-the-counter, OTC hydrogen peroxide.

Mix it with baking soda and water solution to whiten your teeth.

For this, when you make a paste of baking soda and half part water, add a dash of hydrogen peroxide to the paste.

The mix will bubble and fizz as baking soda and hydrogen peroxide combines.

Keep in mind, that if you are using these 2 components together, then apply the paste for 1 minute only and rinse it.

Be very careful not to swallow this paste as it can cause irritation and other issues. Also, talk to your dentist if this solution is suitable for you or not.

Using it With Toothpaste

If you want to use baking soda along with your toothpaste you can do so.

If you already are using toothpaste that has whitening benefits, then you can add baking soda to it. Using it weekly can help you keep a brightening smile.

However, make sure to rinse your mouth thoroughly after using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

Interestingly, there are a number of commercial toothpaste that come with baking soda and its whitening power.

Different studies suggest that these are better at removing plaque than toothpaste that does not contain baking soda.

Pos of Using Baking Soda

Baking soda might not be as effective in removing cavities as fluoride toothpaste, however, it is still a good cleaning agent.

Moreover, toothpaste that contains baking soda has antibacterial properties that can help protect your teeth from decay, according to a study.

Additionally, it helps to reduce plaque and gingivitis, reduce bacteria, whiten teeth and is a fluoride-free option.

Let’s discuss these as follows:

Reduces Plaque and Gingivitis

Bacteria is already present in your mouth.

However, when you do not keep up with your oral and dental hygiene, then it can aid bacteria causing tartar and plaque.

A biofilm is a colony of bacteria that lives in your oral cavity present on the surface of your teeth.

It can cause problems like cavities and gingivitis, while plaque is one form of dental biofilm.

Thus, when you brush your teeth with baking soda, it disrupts the biofilm reducing the number of bacteria and helps to prevent damage to your teeth and gums.

Helps to Reduce Bacteria

Bacteria in your mouth can thrive if the conditions in your mouth are acidic.

According to a study in 2017, when you rinse your mouth with baking soda and water solution, it helps to restore the pH levels in your mouth.

As it is alkaline in nature, it reduces the acidity in your mouth.

As a result, using it as toothpaste makes it hard for bacteria that cause cavities to multiply in your mouth.

Teeth Whitening

Baking soda has whitening properties and is very effective in removing stains on your teeth.

That is why it is a popular ingredient in many commercial toothpastes.

Different studies suggest that it is mildly abrasive that has the ability to remove stains from the enamel of your teeth.

Moreover, you can easily find it in different drugstores, grocery stores, and retailers and you can mix it with your toothpaste to whiten your teeth.

Fluoride-Free option

Too much fluoride can be toxic for your mouth, especially for children under 6 years of age.

However, fluoride toxicity is rare and the risks are only a concern when you consume a large amount of fluoride.

Fluoride toxicity can cause pain, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney and heart problems,

Thus, this is the reason why many people prefer toothpaste that contains baking soda to reduce the risks of toxicity.

Cons of Using Baking Soda

There are a few disadvantages of using baking soda.

However, the advantages of using it outweigh the disadvantages.

The cons of using it can be due to its salty taste and texture, may not be suitable for your teeth, and you may also not be satisfied using it.

This is because many home remedies take time to work and you will have to be patient with that in-office whitening treatment that produces effective and immediate results.

The cons of using it are as follows:

Unappealing Taste and Texture

One of the potential downsides of using it or baking soda paste is its taste.

Moreover, its texture is also like sand, so you might feel that you have put sand in your youth which is not a very pleasant feeling.

Thus, if you want to reap the benefits of using it, then you might want to consider using toothpaste that contains baking soda.

Also, if the texture and taste of bicarbonate soda bother you, you can add 1 or 2 drops of peppermint oil to its paste.

Less Dramatic Results

Baking soda is mildly abrasive, and although the American Dental Association, ADA considers baking soda safe.

This is because it does not damage your enamel and dentist.

However, some researchers state that baking soda may not remove stains on your teeth as effectively as other products.

If it does not work well for you, you can choose other products like hydrogen peroxide to increase the effectiveness of the remedy.

Lack of Fluoride

Many fluoride toothpastes are approved by ADA. Although fluoride is found in water as well as in the air.

It provides extra protection to your teeth against tooth decay.

Thus, using baking soda alone in your toothpaste might not be as effective in preventing tooth cavities like the ones that contain fluoride.

This is because fluoride helps to stop bacteria from developing and multiplying in your mouth.

Thus preventing cavities and gum diseases.

What Else Can Help you For Dental and Oral Care?

If you are looking for other products you can use at home then try using hydrogen peroxide.

It whitens your teeth by oxidizing yellow and brown stains on the surface of your teeth.

Moreover, you can use the oil pulling technique that utilizes coconut oil.

It helps to reduce the number of bacteria in your mouth, thus reducing the chances of developing plaque or gum diseases.

Smoking not only affects your immune system but also produces stains on your teeth that can make you lose confidence.

It can also give your breath a bad odor, thus you should quit smoking to prevent oral and dental diseases.

Using mouthwash can also help to benefit oral and dental health.

Certain products that contain chlorhexidine can help control plaque and gingivitis, because of their anti-bacterial properties.

Consuming too much sugar can lead to gingivitis, thus, reduce your intake of sugar intake, as well as processed food.

According to the recommendations of WHO people limit their intake of sugar to below 10 percent of their daily calories.

The authors of a review also state that lowering this to 5 percent would further reduce the risk of cavities and other dental problems.

The Bottom Line

Baking soda when mixed in acid bases releases carbon dioxide even when mixed in lemon juice. Baking powder is found in baked goods, in the market in the box of baking soda.

It is an inexpensive and readily available teeth cleaner and helps to lighten tooth stains and can also help to scrub away dental plaque.

Although you may find its taste salty and a sandy texture and if swollen can produce stomach acid, it helps to restore the pH level, reduces your chance of developing gum diseases, plaque, and tartar which makes it a good option.

Moreover, if you want to clean your dental appliances, you can add Arm Hammer’s baking powder and cream of tartar in hot water.

Mix it in the open box and apply it to the appliances for cleaning them.