Baking soda is considered a miracle product. It’s designed to be used in oven bakes, like cakes, but it’s also a reliable cleaning agent, deodorizer, and home health remedy.Â
There’s some debate over whether you can safely brush your teeth with baking soda. The answer is yes – but only for two minutes at a time, as the abrasive qualities of baking soda can wear away at your enamel if you brush for any longer.
Some of the biggest benefits of brushing your teeth with baking soda include:
1. Safe, inexpensive toothpaste
Next time you brush your teeth, check the ingredient list on the toothpaste tube. It probably contains baking soda (though you may find it written as sodium bicarbonate). So, instead of buying toothpaste containing baking soda, save yourself the cash and mix a paste of baking soda and water and brush with it to clean your pearly whites.
Using baking soda is less expensive and may work better at cleaning teeth than store-bought toothpaste because it’s concentrated.
2. Whitens teeth
Most professional dental products used for teeth whitening contain a combination of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. These products work together to clean stains on and between teeth. Dental experts say that since baking soda is as gritty and abrasive as toothpaste, it works well to remove surface stains.Â
For deeper cleaning, a small amount of hydrogen peroxide can be used to create a toothpaste.
3. Fluoride-free
Baking soda is fluoride-free, which may be important for people concerned about using over-the-counter toothpaste containing this chemical. There have been mixed messages about whether fluoride is good or bad for us in recent years, so you may want to avoid it until more scientific research has been carried out.
4. Completely natural
Baking soda is a completely natural kitchen ingredient. It doesn’t contain dyes, flavourings, or other harmful chemicals. It’s also very unlikely that you will experience an adverse reaction to baking soda, as it contains no additives that could cause irritation.
5. Cleans and removes plaque
The reason we all hopefully use toothpaste is to clean our teeth, so while it’s great that baking soda is cheap and natural, it’s also good to know that it can remove plaque from teeth, too. Again, it’s the abrasive qualities of baking soda that make it so effective in cleaning teeth.
Baking soda toothpaste recipes
So, now you know the benefits of baking soda for your teeth, it’s time to use it to make your own toothpaste. Stay tuned for 6 baking soda toothpaste to try out today.
1. Baking soda and water
The most basic method is mixing baking soda and water. Mix a few drops of water with half a teaspoon of baking soda in a small bowl. Once you have a paste, apply it to your teeth using a toothbrush or your fingers. Leave on for approximately two minutes and rinse with water.
2. Baking soda and toothpaste
You can also try adding a little amount of baking soda to your toothpaste. This means you can save money on buying a fancy product that already contains baking soda and simply add it in yourself.
3. Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide
You can partner baking soda with another household product — hydrogen peroxide — to effectively clean and whiten your teeth. Just mix a teaspoon of baking soda and half a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide until the mixture turns into a toothpaste-like consistency.
Use the mixture to brush your teeth, then let it sit for a minute or two before rinsing it off with water. Make sure to rinse well and use a three-percent solution of hydrogen peroxide for safety. Hydrogen peroxide can also sting some people’s gums, so rinse your mouth out if you feel any discomfort.
4. Baking soda and lemon or lime juice
Lime and lemon contain citric acid, a natural bleaching agent. To make your own citrus teeth-whitening recipe, mix half a teaspoon of baking soda with half a teaspoon of lime or lemon. Use your toothbrush to brush your teeth with the mixture. Let the mixture sit for a minute before washing it off.
Make sure not to use this mixture too often, as citric acid can be detrimental to the teeth because of the acid found in limes and lemons.
5. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar
Rinsing your mouth with three parts water and one-part apple cider vinegar makes for quick and easy teeth-whitening. You could also mix apple cider vinegar with your toothpaste, and brush as you normally would.
6. Coconut oil and baking soda toothpaste
Another alternative to expensive whitening treatments is coconut oil paste. Coconut oil is excellent for whitening the teeth thanks to its fatty acid content.Â
Swilling your mouth with coconut oil paste for 20 minutes will do the trick. Just heat one cup of coconut oil until liquid-like, add 5-to-10 drops of spearmint essential oil, and add two teaspoons of baking soda.
You can also mix coconut oil with baking soda and peppermint essential oil to create your very own natural toothpaste that will whiten your teeth and prevent tooth decay.
Conclusion
Baking soda is a great alternative to commercial toothpaste, but you need to be cautious when using it. It’s a fantastic ingredient to use at home if you’ve run out of toothpaste, but you shouldn’t use it solely on its own.
Still, there’s plenty of enjoyment to be had if you fancy trying out these recipes for yourself. Happy brushing!
