Dental Health Benefits of Baking Soda

A picture of baking soda

What Happens to Your Teeth When Brush with Baking Soda?

Baking soda is standard baking and household product that has also proven to be effective at teeth treatment. However, people rarely use it as teeth treatment because they think it has no medical backing and could be harmful to their teeth.  Through experience over the years, many people have testified to its teeth cleansing strength. After several kinds of research, it was discovered that baking soda is a safe product and can be used to clean stains off surfaces without harming that surface. In order to achieve this, using baking soda on your teeth with care is very important.

Baking soda, also known as bicarbonate, has been certified as a safe alternative for teeth cleansing. Most toothpaste producing companies include baking soda in their toothpaste ingredient list, so there should be no cause for alarm. Are you wondering if it is still safe on your teeth? Then follow me through this article. The focal points of this article are; common dental problems, their causes, and how baking soda can solve these problems.

What Does Baking Soda Look Like?

Just in case you are blind to what baking soda looks like, it is a white and abrasive (sand-feel texture) substance, which is mostly known to be a baking agent, as the name implies. However, people down the ages discovered that it has more cleaning capacities than baking capacities. In order words, this makes it a multi-purpose agent. Let us have a somewhat brief look at major dental problems and their causes before we delve into how baking soda can be of rescue to the victims of these teeth problems.

Major Dental Issues and Their Causes

Dental problems are no joke. It is so discomforting that it can make you have an exceedingly terrible day. However, the good news is that majority of these teeth problems can be prevented, while some can be cured. They might just take longer before they eventually get fixed. Understanding the common teeth problems and factors that cause them is important in understanding how baking soda works in the treatment of those problems.

Bad Breath

This is a dental problem that comes with so much embarrassment. The cause of this dental issue could either be oral cancer, gum disease, or dry mouth.

Gum Disease

addictionThe gum is the stronghold of the teeth; when infected, it gets weak, and the teeth begin to fall out one after the other. Gum disease is a dental issue whereby the gum around the teeth is infected by plaque. The risk factors of gum disease could be smoking, dry mouth, or diabetes.

Cavities

Also known as tooth decay. It is the most common dental problem. The rot begins to occur when the enamel is affected by a harmful acid. This acid is produced when the food remnant in your teeth mixes with sugar or starch. The combination of both substances leads to cavities, or what you know as tooth decay.

Tooth Erosion

This is a dental condition when the teeth structure gets deformed or takes another funny looking form. This condition is caused by an acid that attacks the enamel and weakens it so much that the teeth begin to lose its shape and structure.

Oral Cancer

This is a significant and deadly disease of the mouth. The risk factors of oral cancer are the chewing of tobacco and excessive alcohol intake. Early diagnosis and proper care can cure this dental issue.

Having identified these problems and having its solution packed in just one container of a baking and cleaning agent is a miracle.

Baking Soda to The Rescue

One of the advantages of baking soda is its ability to balance the level of acidity in your mouth. Quickly note, the more you have acids in your mouth, the more your risk of having tooth decay. Baking soda ensures that the pH level and acidity level in your mouth are balanced. Another advantage is its cost-effectiveness. It is quite affordable and, at the same time, safe to use.

For Gum Disease

Gum disease, which is caused by the formation of plaque in the mouth and causes your gum to swell and bleed, can be cured with baking soda. Adding baking soda to your dental care box and sticking to your dental routine with baking soda would help to eliminate the plaque that causes gum disease.

For Tooth Sensitivity

Maintaining healthy gums using baking soda helps reduce your chances of having teeth sensitivity.

For Bad Breath

activated charcoalBaking soda eliminates residual acidic food substances from your mouth. This acid is what causes bad breath. It does this by balancing the pH and acid levels in the mouth to prevent tooth decay and bad breath.

For Sores or Mouth Ulcer

Sores in the mouth can be very discomforting and painful and might take time to heal. However, rinsing your mouth with baking soda and water would help hasten the healing process of the sores. Baking soda gets rid of those sores by drying them up.

For Teeth Whitening

This is what baking soda is very effective at—teeth whitening. It generally works for the whole mouth and treats dental problems, and at the same time, it keeps your teeth clean and white. Your teeth get stained from different substances, ranging from foods to drinks and drugs. Regular usage of baking soda or tubes of toothpaste containing baking soda can help you maintain a white set of teeth as well as keep stains away from your teeth for a long time.

Other Advantages Include

  • Baking soda reduces the number of bacteria in your mouth, which consequently reduces the risks of you having tooth decay.
  • It is an excellent alternative for fluoride. Medical research holds that excess fluoride can be toxic, especially for children under 6 years of age. Though the cases of fluoride toxicity are rare, there is still a need to prevent it. It causes vomiting, heart, and kidney problems. In order to avoid such ugly health conditions, try out the baking soda. It is a healthy replacement for fluoride due to its fluoride and toxin-free nature.
  • It is cheap and easy to afford.
  • It is readily available in stores.

Cons of Baking soda

The famous aphorism ‘nothing is wholly perfect in itself’ has been very useful over the years. As good as baking soda seems to be on your dental health, it has its own backlashes. What are the disadvantages of baking soda?

  • Its taste is unappealing.
  • Its texture is not smooth and fine. It feels like sand in the mouth.
  • Using it alone on your teeth without any form of fluoride could introduce other dental issues. This means you have to either mix baking soda in your toothpaste or use baking soda once in a while. This would help prevent your teeth from lacking fluoride.

Risk of Prolonged Use

  • Using it alone for a long time can lead to cavities (tooth decay)
  • Having a rough texture means that if you brush your teeth too hard with it for a long time, your gum and enamel can get damaged as a result of its abrasive nature.
  • Overuse or prolonged usage of it can cause tooth sensitivity. And increase your risks of developing tooth rot.

How to Use Baking Soda

  • For teeth whitening purposes, do not use baking soda on your teeth for some time longer than two weeks. Remember, it is abrasive in nature and could injure your gum if you use it over a long period.
  • Mix half about a teaspoon of baking soda in water and make a thick paste out of the mixture.
  • Brush your teeth gently after you must have dipped your toothbrush into the paste. Make sure you do not swallow the paste.
  • After brushing with it for about a minute or two, spit out the baking soda and rinse your mouth with water.

In conclusion, baking soda has proven not only to be helpful as a cleaning agent in the home but has also proven to be useful in the whitening of the teeth. Being a mild abrasive, it lifts dirt off your teeth when you use it over a period not longer than two weeks. The best news about baking soda is its inexpensive nature. So far, it is the most affordable teeth whitening agent you can ever imagine.