Baking Soda: The Secret to At-Home Dental Care | San Diego Dentists (2024)

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1 Baking Soda: The Secret to At-Home Dental Care

1.1 How to save money and protect your teeth with this do-it-yourself remedy

2 What Does Baking Soda Do for Your Teeth? Whiten Teeth with Baking Soda

2.1 So, what’s so special about this everyday household item? How does it help protect your teeth? Can it really help prevent gingivitis?

2.1.1 In short, baking soda good for your teeth and is essentially working to balance the pH levels in your mouth to help prevent tooth decay.

2.1.2 The Dental Health Security Guard

3 Tooth Decay Treatment at Home

3.1 HOW CAN BAKING SODA SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS?

3.2 Does Baking Soda Help with Gingivitis?

3.3 All-in-One Oral Health

4 How To Get Rid of Cavities by Adding Baking Soda to Your Dental Care Routine?

4.1 Armed with all this knowledge, let’s learn how to apply it.

4.1.1 As it turns out, working baking soda into your dental care regimen is as easy as brushing your teeth!

4.1.2 We recommend picking up some soda toothpaste for two reasons:

4.1.3 Baking soda is cheap and effective!

4.2 YOU-Focused Dental Care

4.3 We look forward to seeing your smile!

Baking Soda: The Secret to At-Home Dental Care

How to save money and protect your teeth with this do-it-yourself remedy

We all have it lying around somewhere…It might be hiding in the back of your pantry. Or maybe it’s buried behind a million different bottles of assorted spices in your seasoning cabinet.

It’s time to dig it up and dust it off! That lonely little box of baking soda receding gums is the key to completely (and cheaply) transforming your at-home dental health regimen.

Just make a paste of salt water and soda and give your teeth a punch of strength.

At Dental Express, we want each of our patients to know how best to take care of their teeth outside of the office. And that extends to you too.

Our goal is to give you the tools to boost your at-home dental health and save you money at the dentist’s office. That’s why we’re going to cover the many benefits of using baking soda, and how to easily add it into your oral care routine.

What Does Baking Soda Do for Your Teeth? Whiten Teeth with Baking Soda

So, what’s so special about this everyday household item? How does it help protect your teeth? Can it really help prevent gingivitis?

In short, baking soda good for your teeth and is essentially working to balance the pH levels in your mouth to help prevent tooth decay.

If you are thinking about how to remove tooth decay yourself? Baking soda comes in the list of remedies to improve your dental health.

We all have hardened, calcified tissue called enamel that surrounds and protects our teeth’ inner layers. You’ve probably seen a thousand toothpaste commercials over the years warning you about the dangers of enamel decay.

Well, they’re right.

Since enamel doesn’t contain any living tissue, once it’s gone, it’s gone.

The only way to restore decayed or worn-down enamel is by going to a dental professional. That’s why it’s incredibly important to get regular dental check-ups and do all we can at home to improve our dental health.

The Dental Health Security Guard

When we eat or drink, the acid in whatever we’re ingesting causes something called acid erosion.

According to the Academy of General Dentistry, erosion occurs when acid in the foods and drinks you consume wears away your enamel.

Without proper care and attention, this can eventually lead to the exposure of your teeth’ inner layers, causing them to look damaged and discolored.

The American Dental Association states that the critical pH, meaning the point when acid erosion starts to occur, is when your mouth’s pH level drops below 5.1-5.5. Typically, this effect happens when we eat or drink foods rich in carbohydrates, and it takes 1 to 2 hours to go back to normal.

So, it all boils down to the pH levels in your mouth.

Acidic foods and drinks lower your pH levels past the critical point, and foods on the other end of the pH spectrum help provide balance to prevent tooth decay.

Tooth Decay Treatment at Home

HOW CAN BAKING SODA SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS?

Thanks to its high pH, baking soda serves as a strong bodyguard for our enamel.

Raising the pH levels in our mouth protects our teeth from the dangerous side effects of high acidity.

In fact, a PubMed study at the University of Manitoba shows that when used soon after eating, high baking soda toothpaste helps the mouth’s pH levels return to normal much faster than toothpaste with lower amounts, significantly decreasing the risk of cavities.

Moreover, baking soda for teeth and gums helps to kill bacteria on the teeth and protect your gums from getting damaged.

It is also one of the best materials to break up the biofilm and remove all the stains from your teeth.

And you’ll be amazed at all the other ways baking soda can positively impact your dental health.

Does Baking Soda Help with Gingivitis?

The answer to that question is a resounding YES!

This DENTAL SECRET is perhaps the biggest item on the baking soda benefits list.

Also known as gum disease, gingivitis is a painful condition caused by the buildup of plaque on your teeth.

As a result of poor dental hygiene, gingivitis can lead to swollen, sensitive gums, and it can cause gums to recede or even bleed when brushing or flossing. Bad breath is another unfortunate result of this awful condition.

But don’t worry, believe it or not, baking soda can tackle every single problem caused by gingivitis!

Brushing with baking soda for dental health or using soda toothpaste is a great way to reduce and prevent gingivitis-causing plaque buildup.

The ingredient is safe to use once a day as it does not harm your teeth.

Less plaque means less tooth decay, which means you can say goodbye to bad breath.

Because of its pH-balancing effects, baking soda for teeth also helps minimize swelling and sensitivity, promoting happy, healthy gums.

And as you might have guessed, when your gums and teeth are gingivitis-free, that means fewer trips to the dreaded dentist’s office!

When you’re proactive with your at-home dental care, you can show off your smile with confidence, knowing that you’re taking good care of your teeth and saving money in the process.

All-in-One Oral Health

In addition to helping heal and prevent gingivitis, baking soda has some other tricks up its sleeve. We mentioned that it helps reduce the risk of cavities, but it doesn’t stop there…

  • Repairs damage caused by cavities: The American Dental Association states that by getting rid of plaque, soda helps stop cavities that are in the beginning stages of forming, and actually repairs the damage they cause.
  • Bye-bye bad breath: Baking soda doesn’t just fight bad breath caused by gingivitis. It helps fix morning breath, coffee breath, and everyday bad breath too!
  • Results you can see: Baking soda toothpaste proves more effective at removing stains and dental teeth whitening than other toothpaste. When you see your smile visibly getting whiter, the happiness and confidence you’ll feel will motivate you to stay on top of your dental health!
  • Out with the bad, in with the good: Studies show that not only does baking soda help remove unwanted bacteria from the mouth, it also fosters the growth of good bacteria. This benefit creates an even healthier environment for your teeth and gums to thrive in.
  • Where no toothpaste has gone before: A study cited by the American Dental Association states that toothpaste containing bake soda actually hits harder-to-reach places more effectively than toothpaste without it. More coverage means less plaque, which means a healthier mouth!
  • Rinse away the pain: Can’t smile or open your mouth without a painful sore giving you grief? Baking soda is proven to help relieve pain and even speed up the healing process!

It’s hard to believe just how beneficial baking soda can be for your dental health. And the best part is, it’s super easy and affordable to add to your daily routine.

How To Get Rid of Cavities by Adding Baking Soda to Your Dental Care Routine?

Armed with all this knowledge, let’s learn how to apply it.

As it turns out, working baking soda into your dental care regimen is as easy as brushing your teeth!

We recommend picking up some soda toothpaste for two reasons:

1. Baking Soda toothpaste tastes better.

2. Baking soda is much easier to use every day and reap the benefits.

Whatever kind you choose, make sure it also has fluoride treatment, an essential ingredient! Of course, if you’d rather have plain soda you can find it at your local grocery store.

Baking soda is cheap and effective!

If you don’t already have baking soda toothpaste, just put some regular toothpaste on your brush, wet it, and coat it with bake soda. Then brush away! This at-home solution also works without toothpaste. Simply wet your toothbrush, dip it into baking soda, and brush.

If you notice you have bad breath, simply mix a tiny spoonful (approximately 2 tsp) of bake soda into water and swish it around like mouthwash to leave your mouth feeling clean and refreshed.

This at-home baking soda remedy is a great way to ease discomfort and accelerate the healing of any painful mouth sores.

Baking soda is quite possibly the easiest and most affordable way to improve your dental health outside the <a title=”dentist’s office” href=”https://www.thedentalexpress.com/”>dentist’s office.

From battling gingivitis to beating bad breath, it’s safe to say that we can all benefit from using soda in our daily routines.

Before long, you’ll notice your gums feeling healthier, your teeth looking whiter, and your smile looking happier. Oh, and your wallet will feel a little heavier too!

YOU-Focused Dental Care

At Dental Express, we know how important it is for our patients to build healthy habits at home to take better care of their teeth.

We aim to provide knowledge and services that keep your smile as healthy as possible while saving you money along the way.

If you’re looking for family-friendly, affordable dentists San Diego area, we’ve got you covered. Make an appointment at any one of our 6 locations today.

We look forward to seeing your smile!

Sources

AGD Tooth erosion: http://www.agd.org/public/OralHealthFacts/files/pdfgenerator.aspx?pdf=FS_ToothErosion.pdf&id=307565#:~:text=Acid%20erosion%20occurs%20when%20acid,cracked%2C%20transparent%2C%20and%20discolored.

ADA – Baking soda dentifrices and oral health https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(17)30822-X/fulltext#secsectitle0015

ADA – Effect of baking soda in dentifrices on plaque removal https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(17)30809-7/fulltext#secsectitle0055

University of Manitoba study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11524867/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gingivitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354453

Baking Soda: The Secret to At-Home Dental Care | San Diego Dentists (2024)

FAQs

Do dentists recommend baking soda? ›

Yes, it does work. While baking soda can't protect your teeth from cavities as effectively as a fluoride toothpaste can, it's still considered a good cleaning agent for your teeth. Toothpastes containing baking soda have been shown to have antibacterial properties, which can help protect your teeth from decay.

How long does baking soda take to remove plaque from teeth? ›

Removing Tartar with Baking Soda

Leave the baking soda on for at least fifteen minutes before rinsing. While not exactly tasty, baking soda can neutralize harmful acids from things like sodas and foods while also killing bacteria and whitening teeth naturally.

Can baking soda reverse gum disease? ›

Baking soda can neutralize acids that contribute to gum disease. In addition, research published in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry in 2017 found that toothpastes with sodium bicarbonate performed better than those without at removing plaque.

What is the baking soda method for teeth and gums? ›

You can enjoy the whitening benefits of baking soda by using toothpaste with baking soda as a listed ingredient. Alternatively, dip a damp toothbrush into baking soda and brush your teeth with it twice a day. You can also make a paste using water and baking soda, then apply it directly to your teeth.

Does brushing your teeth with baking soda actually work? ›

It works to help clean teeth. According to the Journal of Clinical Dentistry (June 2008), brushing teeth with baking soda products was proven more effective than using products without baking soda. It's inexpensive. If you use just baking soda, a box will last you for a long time and costs less than $1.

How often should I use baking soda on my teeth? ›

Baking soda will generally need to be used correctly in order to protect the teeth's enamel from damages. The soda should ideally not be used too frequently since it can damage the enamel as a result of frequent use. It should generally only be used about once per a week and for two minutes at a time.

How to reverse 20 years of arterial plaque? ›

There is no fast, easy way to unclog an artery once plaque has built up. However, following a heart-healthy eating plan, staying physically active, such as regularly exercising, and quitting smoking (if you smoke) can help stop blockages from getting worse. In some cases, medications or surgery may be needed.

How can I remove hardened tartar from my teeth at home? ›

Naturally antibacterial, white vinegar will help to demineralise or soften tartar if used once or twice daily as a mouthwash. Swish a mixture of 2 cups of warm water, 2 teaspoons of white vinegar and a pinch of salt around your mouth for a few minutes. Do this after or between brushing your teeth.

How to remove hard yellow plaque from teeth? ›

Here's how to remove plaque from teeth:
  1. Floss daily. Floss once a day with dental floss to get rid of food and plaque stuck between teeth. ...
  2. Brush twice a day. ...
  3. Chew sugarless gum. ...
  4. Choose healthy foods. ...
  5. See your dentist. ...
  6. Use mouthwash.

Can baking soda remineralize teeth? ›

No, baking soda cannot remineralize a cavity. While it is effective at breaking up plaque biofilm and removing surface stains due to its mild abrasive properties, baking soda doesn't have the necessary minerals your body needs repair and rebuild tooth enamel once a cavity has formed.

Is baking soda harmful for teeth? ›

Does brushing with baking soda damage teeth? Brushing once a day with baking soda or on occasion will not damage the teeth. However, brushing too hard or too often with it can lead to damaged tooth enamel. Some people also mix the baking soda with lemon juice, strawberries or other ingredients to clean the teeth.

What are the side effects of brushing your teeth with baking soda? ›

It is slightly abrasive and if used repeatedly over time it can weaken tooth enamel, making your teeth more sensitive and vulnerable to dental cavities. Baking soda on its own does not kill the bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and tooth decay.

Is it okay to brush your teeth with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide? ›

For deeper cleaning, people safely can mix baking soda with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to create a toothpaste. However, since hydrogen peroxide can sting, people with sensitive teeth and gums should discontinue using this paste if they experience pain or discomfort.

Can baking soda draw out gum infection? ›

Baking soda and saltwater solution acts like a double-action power-packed antibacterial mouth rinse. Besides bacterial elimination, it works well to drain the abscess from gums, reducing pain.

How to remove tooth decay yourself? ›

Cavities, or tooth decay, are small holes in the teeth. As a result, there is no natural way to remove them at home. Only a dentist can fix a cavity by filling it in. That said, home care can prevent cavities.

Is Arm and Hammer baking soda safe for teeth? ›

Yes! Baking soda is the best way to help neutralize food acids in the mouth. Baking soda is a natural buffer, ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda toothpaste helps maintain the mouth's natural pH level as it immediately neutralizes food acids.

Is swishing baking soda good for your teeth? ›

A supplement to The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) summarized research on the effects of baking soda on oral health and found that: It's low-abrasive and safe for daily use. Effectively combats bacteria. Minimizes the acidity of plaque.

What are the side effects of rinsing your mouth with baking soda? ›

It Causes Sensitivity

Baking soda may be allergic to some people, especially women, as a result, it may cause rashes and sores on the palate, gums, tongue, and lips. Burning, itching or pain may occur due to mucosal irritation. Also, bleeding gums are not impossible.

What are the disadvantages of baking soda toothpaste? ›

The abrasive texture can also irritate the gums. The alkaline chemical makeup can disrupt the delicate pH balance in your mouth. It is best to avoid toothpaste products containing baking soda as the ingredient is not necessary for clean, healthy teeth.

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