Should You Use Baking Soda to Whiten Your Teeth?

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, has long been a popular home remedy for tooth whitening. It can be used in a pinch instead of toothpaste, and it’s cheap and easy to get. But is it healthy? What about long-term results (or consequences)? It can certainly help make your teeth whiter, but it has some drawbacks as well. 

How Does Baking Soda Whiten Your Teeth? 

Baking soda is a mild abrasive and can help scrub away stains on your teeth. The coarseness of the baking soda helps remove the particles making up tooth stains. It is also alkaline, which means it’s a base (and its pH is over 7). Bases help lower the acid levels in the mouth, which in turn helps stop future tooth staining. 

How to Use it to Whiten Your Teeth 

Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with two teaspoons of water. Use this paste on your toothbrush as you normally would when brushing. 

You won’t see your teeth get whiter after one use, so it’s best to do this a few times a week for as many as three weeks. Just be sure you read the rest of this article, first, to decide if this option is right for you. 

What are the Drawbacks to Whitening Teeth With Baking Soda? 

Although baking soda can whiten your teeth with use over time, there are a few problems with it. 

1. It’s Not Scientifically Proven 

Despite plenty of personal statements and anecdotal evidence, there is no scientific proof that baking soda whitens the teeth. There is a good amount of evidence, however, that toothpastes with baking soda in them can help whiten the teeth. The difference is that toothpastes including baking soda are anti-bacterial, so they are overall better for your gums and mouth than just water and baking soda. 

2. It Can Damage Teeth in the Long-Run 

Using baking soda to brush your teeth on a frequent basis can actually hurt your tooth enamel. The rough nature of baking soda can actually crack tooth enamel with over use. This happens when baking soda is used repeatedly in a short span of time. Micro-fractures and scratches on the teeth can weaken the whole structure of the tooth, so it’s best to not use baking soda every time you brush. 

3. Baking Soda Doesn’t Taste or Feel That Great 

Many who brush with baking soda report that their mouths feel gritty afterword, and that it tastes bad to awful. In the long run, brushing too often with baking soda might actually push people away from brushing regularly because they think about it as an unpleasant experience.  

What Should You Use for Tooth Brushing? 

The best thing to use for the sake of your long-term dental health is toothpaste that has baking soda in it. Not only is toothpaste with baking soda proven to whiten teeth, it is specially made to have the right ratio of baking soda to other ingredients – this means that your teeth won’t be overly irritated by brushing. Toothpaste also can kill bacteria and help fight other oral diseases. It’s tested, vetted, and much better for you as a whole than plain baking soda is. 

What About Other Home-Based Solutions? 

Some people swear by brushing with salt to whiten teeth, too. There is no evidence at all to support that brushing with salt is beneficial in any way. There are also plenty of other home-fixes out there. If you read about one that sounds like a good idea, be sure to do some research first. It’s best to go with products that are proven before you try anything you have any reason to be doubtful of. 

Brush regularly with toothpaste, be sure to floss, and your teeth should be in great shape. 

When Can You Use Baking Soda for Brushing? 

Baking soda mixed with water is a good alternate to use when you don’t have toothpaste available. Maybe you’re traveling and forgot toothpaste, or maybe you ran out of it at home and you can’t go to the store—either way, baking soda makes a fine replacement for toothpaste when used occasionally. 

Remember, it’s about oral health, not just having a whiter smile. As a rule, use toothpaste to brush your teeth. That’s what it’s best for! 

Ask a Dentist 

If you still aren’t sure, or you talk to someone who personally swears by baking soda over toothpaste, ask a dentist. If you are in or around Carrollton, Texas, swing by Josey Lane Dentistry to talk to us here! Any of us will be happy to give you our professional opinion—and the facts—on the matter.