Baking Soda as a Natural Cleaning Agent

For centuries, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has been used by people around the world as a cleaning agent for a wide variety of purposes. As a natural cleaner, baking soda is well known for its ability to clean paint, remove pesticides from vegetables, neutralize odors from books and for many years, even used informally, as a tooth whitening agent to whiten teeth.

Many people who have tried using baking soda to clean their teeth, claim that this natural formula of teeth whitening works like a miracle when it comes to whitening their discolored and stained tooth.

Drinks such as coffee, wine, colas and other factors such smoking and chewing tobacco can leave stains on the outer layer of the teeth, which is the enamel and what baking soda does is help remove these stains by scrapping them off with its abrasive properties (sodium bicarbonate) to make the teeth appear whiter and thus enable them to reflect more light to look brighter.

To use baking soda as a tooth whitener, you can mix it with a bit of water and apply it directly to your toothbrush. Some people like to blend it with a pinch of salt and a few drops of white vinegar and brush with the foaming mixture, followed by regular toothpaste. Results may vary depending on how mild the stains are but most people usually see results within the first one or two weeks.

Disadvantages of Baking Soda as a Teeth Whitener

There are also certain disadvantages to using baking soda as a tooth whitener as well. While it is safe to swallow and is effective in getting rid of surface stains to make your teeth shine, one must understand that baking soda by itself will not bleach your teeth white and neither can it remove all sorts of stains such as yellow, grey, or deeply discolored teeth. For such deep stains, a professional teeth whitening product specifically designed to whiten teeth is going to be much more effective.

Furthermore, baking soda by itself contains minerals that is quite abrasive and if used too often, can damage the surface of the teeth. In some cases, you can permanently damage the enamel and cause cavities or tooth sensitivity.

In a nutshell, baking soda is cheap and can represent an effective short-term natural home made teeth whitening remedy to remove mild stains and brighten your smile. However one should also exercise caution on over relying on baking soda as the only teeth whitening solution.