Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, had a wide range of uses for centuries, for example, Ancient Egyptians used it as a soap! But its uses multiplied after the manufacturing of baking soda began in 1846. After its first use in the kitchen, sodium bicarbonate found its way into the ingredients of various medical products.
Today baking soda is still used as an antiperspirant, cold remedy, jellyfish sting treatment, meat tenderizer, and oven cleaner, to name a few. One of its most popular uses is toothpaste. Continue reading to learn if you should consider brushing with baking soda to whiten your teeth.
To find out more about dental hygiene and how to safely whiten your teeth schedule an appointment with Trident General Dentistry.
Is It Safe to Brush Your Teeth with Baking Soda?
In the late nineteenth century, the earliest toothpaste contained baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Most of the toothpaste manufacturers currently have at least one toothpaste with baking soda. Its popularity is likely due to its reputation as an effective dentifrice. However, you may have concerns about the safety of using a product that also functions as a concrete degreaser.
To allay your concerns is a host of studies such as this one that confirm its safety. Sodium bicarbonate is also safe to ingest in minimal amounts. However, as with any toothpaste, children require adult supervision to not swallow excessively after brushing.
Can Baking Soda Damage Teeth?
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), brushing with plain water is minimally abrasive to your teeth. So it surprises many people that plain baking soda has the next lowest abrasive value in their ranking of toothpaste abrasiveness. Although still beneath the upper limit of abrasive acceptability by the ADA and the FDA, many whitening kinds of toothpaste have considerably higher abrasiveness values than plain baking soda and many toothpaste products containing baking soda.
The abrasiveness of your toothpaste is one factor in potentially damaging your teeth and gums when brushing your teeth. However, you can safely use any of the recommended toothpaste or plain baking soda if you follow these recommended toothbrushing guidelines:
-
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush with round-ended bristles.
-
Brush for two minutes.
-
Use a gentle and circular brushing motion.
Does Baking Soda Whiten Teeth?
Before you begin whitening your teeth at home, it is better to discuss your plan and goals with your dentist. One reason this is important is that you cannot whiten all teeth discolorations. Taking certain medications during tooth development, developmental problems or dental trauma can cause staining of the inner layers of teeth, also known as intrinsic tooth discoloration. You cannot improve this discoloration with toothpaste or dental bleaching products. Fortunately, your dentist has several cosmetic dental options to whiten intrinsically stained teeth.
Extrinsic discoloration is due to surface staining of the outer surface, or enamel, of teeth. These stains result from foods, beverages, dental plaque, or smoking. You can whiten some of these minor stains by regular toothbrushing and at-home dental bleaching products. More severe staining requires professional tooth bleaching by your dentist. Professional tooth bleaching is more predictable, longer-lasting, and yields better results.
Evidence from some studies reveals that baking soda effectively removes extrinsic tooth stains and whitens teeth. However, if you choose to use plain baking soda and water, you may need to alternate its use with fluoridated toothpaste or supplement with a fluoride rinse.
Schedule an Appointment
We offer several cosmetic dental services to help you whiten your teeth for a brighter smile. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to learn more about the best toothpaste and treatments to give you the smile you want.