Baking Soda and Teeth Whitening: It’s important to note that baking soda is not an abrasive that will scrub away stains on your teeth. Instead, it acts as a mild abrasive when mixed with water and helps remove surface stains from your teeth. This can leave your teeth looking whiter instantly, but it won’t actually remove deep-seated discoloration. If you’re looking for something that will get rid of years-old stains on your teeth, baking soda isn’t the answer—you’ll need something stronger like hydrogen peroxide or bleach instead.
How to Use Baking Soda as a Tooth Whitener: To use baking soda as a tooth whitener, mix one part baking soda with two parts water to form a paste. Spread the paste evenly over your toothbrush bristles and brush as usual for one minute at least twice per week (more often if possible).
Read on to learn more about How To Use Baking Soda As Teeth Whitening For Face, More Tips on how to Whiten Teeth Fast without Baking Soda
How To Use Baking Soda As Teeth Whitening For Face
If you’re looking to save money and need help whiten your teeth, use bicarbonate of soda or baking soda a couple times per week. Baking soda will help whiten your teeth naturally and simply, without harming your tooth enamel.
If you enjoy coffee, tea, or red wine, you know that these tasty drinks can stain your teeth. Many people find that a brighter smile is a big boost to their confidence and want to know how to whiten their teeth.
To help whiten your teeth, you just need baking soda, also known as bicarbonate of soda an ingredient you probably already have in your kitchen or refrigerator. Baking soda makes an easy and effective DIY home remedy for teeth whitening. Studies published in The Journal of the American Dental Association showed that baking soda is an effective stain remover and whitening ingredient for oral care.
How Does Baking Soda Whiten Your Teeth?
Baking soda is good for teeth whitening because it is a very mild abrasive, which helps remove stains from the surface of your teeth. In addition, baking soda is alkaline and salty, which helps lighten acid-based food stains – such as those from coffee, tea, and red wine – on teeth.
Our Favorite DIY Recipe for Teeth Whitening with Baking Soda
The easiest method to help whiten your teeth with baking soda is simply to mix about a tablespoon of baking soda with about a tablespoon of water in a small bowl (roughly equal parts baking soda and water). You’ll make a thick paste that you can apply to your teeth with your fingers or a soft-bristled toothbrush.
For best results, brush for about two minutes using circular motions and be sure to coat all of your teeth with the paste. Gently brush all around your mouth, hitting each tooth. Do not scrub too hard or use too much force.
After two minutes, spit out the baking soda and rinse your mouth thoroughly with water or mouthwash. Rinse your toothbrush as well.
For more intense whitening, substitute over-the-counter topical hydrogen peroxide for the water in your DIY baking soda teeth whitening recipe. The solution will bubble and fizz some as the two ingredients combine. If you’re using the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide method, keep the paste on your teeth for one minute before rinsing. Be careful not to swallow the paste and check with your dental care professional to make sure this DIY treatment is suitable for you.
Baking Soda Toothpaste for Teeth Whitening
If you want to get the benefits of teeth whitening with baking soda but you prefer the ease and taste of a toothpaste, ARM & HAMMER™ offers several kinds of products for different oral care needs. Try our Advance White toothpaste with baking soda for whitening as well as fluoride and tartar control. There are also baking soda whitening toothpastes for sensitive teeth and gums, and breath freshening
Whitening with Baking Soda and Toothpaste
If you already have a favorite toothpaste or oral hygiene routine, you can add a weekly whitening treatment with baking soda to help keep your smile bright. Always rinse your mouth thoroughly after whitening with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. If you have questions about whether teeth whitening is right for you, ask your dentist.
Brushing Teeth with Baking Soda -Does Baking Soda Whiten Teeth?
What causes teeth discoloration?
Of course you want to whiten your teeth with baking soda because you do not like their current color. In short your teeth are discolored or something close to that. There are plenty of individuals who are suffering from teeth discoloration. Before getting down to the role of baking soda let’s see the causes of teeth staining.
Teeth may get discolored by stains that occur on the surface of inside of the tooth and this may occur as;
- Extrinsic – mostly causes by coffee, soda and wine among other food and drinks that may cause staining. This is alongside habits like smoking
- Intrinsic – discolors the tooth from the inner layers, from the dentine. This layer may darken and exhibit a yellow color. Among the causative agents include too much fluoride during childhood when teeth are growing and developing. When mothers in their second trimester take tetracycline antibiotics or administer them when you are 7 years younger, teeth discoloration may occur. Other forms of discoloration occur due to internal bleeding of a permanent tooth and genetic predisposition.
- Senile – with age the dentine yellows with time as the enamel gets thinner. This may be caused by reduced care of the teeth hygiene by the old. Also due to slow replacement of the white part, the dentine.
These three causative agents of teeth discoloration clearly show that one medication may work best for one while show no efficacy in another.
Everybody desires white teeth. Anybody would be willing to do anything to have it white. This includes ripping the benefits of some chemicals at times at the expense of the teeth themselves.
Such includes sodium bicarbonate being used as a teeth whitener.
Baking soda and teeth whitening
Sodium bicarbonate or commonly baking soda has been used in toothpaste formulations for a long time for its abrasive nature. For firms that prepare this chemical such as renowned Arm and Hammer Baking Soda Company skewed the market to their side of the court by stating its medicinal significance. Companies that have prepared their toothpaste with plain sodium bicarbonate include Church and Dwight. Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever have this beneficial ingredient in their Colgate and Close-up formulations respectively. So it really does work. Just how does it do it?
Sodium Bicarbonate;
- Changes pH of the oral cavity – a healthy mouth is non-acidic, neutral or alkaline. A pH of 7.0 or above is desirable. At pH lower that 7.0, the tooth roots begin to dissolve. The enamel may get eroded and tooth discoloration and cavitation occurs with lower pH. Sodium bicarbonate having a pH of 8.4 helps neutralize the acidic environment created by bacterially broken down sucrose. It further alkalinizes the oral cavity, promotes re-mineralization. It removes the layer of bacteria (plaque) that is responsible for the discoloration of the teeth.
- Is a polishing agent – due to the abrasive nature of sodium bicarbonate, plaque layered on the enamel of teeth are scrubbed off. With reference to the relative dentin abrasion tests done on straight sodium bicarbonate, its abrasiveness is favorable with low abrasivity to the overall state of the enamel. This is as compared to other oral formulations, dentifrices and brands. Sodium bicarbonate, therefore, when used in the correct amount, is an effective polishing agent.
- Increases calcium uptake by the enamel – calcium is important in the development of the teeth which is a calcified tissue. This may help in the strengthening of the enamel and the dentine layer not therefore exposed to cause yellowing.
- Augments anticaries agents – sodium with the buffer effect on the oral cavity prevents further destruction of the enamel and the dentine that causes browning and even darkening of the teeth (cavitation).
What do studies and online forums like Yahoo answers say about Sodium Bicarbonate’s effectiveness in whitening teeth?
Your teeth draw much emphasis on the aesthetics most essentially the envied snow-white color. White lustrous teeth undoubtedly are a considerable factor in portraying our confidence. Therefore, various researches have been conducted to test for the effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate as a potential whitener;
- A laboratory study compared the whitening effect of brushing the teeth with sodium bicarbonate-based dentifrices and standard dentifrices. The latter did not have any sodium bicarbonate. At the end of the experiment, all the sodium bicarbonate-based dentifrices were effective in the removal of yellow intrinsic tooth stain. (J Clin Dent.1998;9(3):72-5)
- In a double-blind comparison of two equivalent groups of subjects, parallel, received in random, a Test (sodium bicarbonate-based) or Control dentifrices. They were instructed to brush twice daily with the dentifrice given and avoid any other. After a 6 week period, the group of subjects using the Test showed remarkable improvement in the whitening of their teeth. The Control group did not show significant whitening. J Clin Dent.2004;15(3):71-5
- Online forums have indicated vast knowledge on the efficacy of bicarbonate in whitening of the teeth. Such forums include Yahoo Answers. According to most yahoo users, baking soda works great for teeth whitening at home.
- According to NIH, Sodium bicarbonate in dual phases of other dentifrices such as calcium and phosphate has shown improved efficacy in removal of extrinsic tooth stain compared to hydrated silica dentifrices.
How long does it take for baking soda to whiten teeth? Fast or Immediate?
In various research findings, continued tooth brushing by the subjects was done till the 120th minute and results noted; (J Clin Dent. 1998; 9(3):72-5)
- That most of the stain removal occurred in the first 30 minutes of brushing.
- Higher concentrations show faster onsets and,
- On dilution of these concentrated sodium bicarbonates, the duration of action is longer with optimal whitening in the 2nd to 3rd
Why use Baking Soda Teeth Whitening? Is it better Compared to other Teeth whitening methods?
- Since not all toothpastes are equal, some are highly abrasive and even scrub off the tooth enamel. According to the Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) table, sodium bicarbonate has an index of 7 which is very low. This shows that relative to some toothpastes like Colgate herbal with an index of 110, sodium bicarbonate is less abrasive to the dentine. Toothpastes with lower abrasive ratings are recommended.
More Tips on how to Whiten Teeth Fast without Baking Soda
- Stains caused by food or drinks can be removed by flossing, brushing and proper rinsing.
- Stains can also be removed by applying bleaching agents to the enamel. Power bleaching is a technique whereby a light-activated bleaching gel is applied. The teeth get remarkably whiter within 30-45 minutes.
- Discoloration often can be removed by applying a bleaching agent to the tooth enamel. One technique is called “power bleaching.” With this method, the dentist applies a light-activated bleaching gel. It causes the teeth to get significantly whiter in about 30 to 45 minutes. Several follow-up treatments may be needed, or take-home bleaching trays may be provided.
- Whitening toothpastes though do not change the overall color outlook of the teeth, may remove some minor stains.
- Xylitol – alkalizes the oral cavity and should be used as often as possible. 100% Xylitol Mints and Gum reduce mouth acidity and regulate the pH into a safe zone. These mints are most beneficial after having a meal protecting the enamel from destruction from acidity brought about by bacteria strains of Streptococcus mutans and
- Lifestyle and habit changes such as reduced stress and exercising. Regulating the intake of acidic foods such as proteins will also be beneficial.
When to see a Doctor
Sodium bicarbonate and the other ingredients discussed above do not seem to work for you? Visit your dentist anytime if you are unhappy with the results. Any change in the color of the teeth of a child or an adult should be examined by a dentist for evaluation.