Is it ok to brush your teeth with baking soda?

The use of baking soda can be an effective way of treating and whitening your teeth at home. While most people want the smile of celebrities, not everyone can afford expensive dental treatments such as teeth whitening and dental veneers.

Apart from toothpaste, there are many products in the market nowadays that can help you keep your teeth healthy, but not everyone can invest in those. And you would be surprised to know that baking soda is a natural teeth whitener and cleaner used for centuries.

We all have baking soda or sodium bicarbonate at our home but have you ever used it as toothpaste? Or have you ever wondered if it works? Or whether it is safe or not? Therefore, to answer this and many other questions, we have given a detailed view below.

Can you use baking soda on your teeth?

Unlike harsh abrasives, sodium bicarbonate is gentle but effective at removing tough stains from teeth like those caused by tobacco. Apart from killing bacteria, it also removes plaque buildup from the mouth.

In some cases, dentists recommend using it when the patient can not get effective results from regular toothpaste. In addition, baking soda acts as an alkaline solution when mixed with water, creating free radicals, which help remove surface pigment and plaque from teeth.

Furthermore, it is also beneficial to use it for mouth ulcers and bad breath because it balances acids from leftover food particles in the mouth. And if you wear any dental appliance like dentures, you can clean, whiten and disinfect it by using the same.

Can baking soda replace normal toothpaste?

Though baking soda has almost all the properties similar to toothpaste, it is not that effective in fighting cavities. Therefore, you should not completely replace your toothpaste with it. 

However, using it once per day on your teeth and dentures (if you wear any) with fluoride-based toothpaste can be very effective and healthy in the long run for your oral health.

Let’s see some pros and cons!

Below are some pros and cons of using baking soda that you must read before incorporating it into your brushing routine: 

Benefits:

• Reduces the risk of plaque build-up and gingivitis
• Help fight bacteria to a great extent
• It does not have fluoride 
• It helps whitens the teeth
• Inexpensive 

Disadvantages: 

• It can cause an adverse effect if used in large quantities
• It has an unattractive taste and smell
• Lack of fluoride
• Does not fight cavity
• It cannot be replaced with normal toothpaste

How to use baking soda in your brushing routine?

Here is how you can use sodium bicarbonate like a normal toothpaste in your daily oral care routine: 

Fill a small bowl or glass with baking soda. Make a paste by adding enough water to the bowl or glass. The baking soda should become a paste similar to toothpaste after mixing with small amounts of water.

Using a toothbrush, apply the paste to the bristles in the same way you would apply regular toothpaste. For maximum plaque removal and whitening effectiveness, brush your teeth for about two minutes with the mixture.

The final step is to rinse your mouth with clean water. You’re done! Brushing your teeth is the same as before, but you’ve just changed the product you use. You will begin to see the effects of the whitening over time. 

There should be an immediate difference in the smoothness and luster of your teeth. During this process, plaque that causes your teeth to feel dirty is removed from your teeth, and they are also whitened. Lastly, consult your dentist for the best results.