Does Baking Soda Whiten Teeth?

If you’ve visited the oral care section at the drugstore lately, you’ve seen the big selection of products available to help whiten your teeth. Or, maybe you’ve noticed advertisements for professional whitening techniques to really zap the stains off your teeth. But have you wondered if the old-fashioned remedy of using baking soda on your teeth really works to regain your pearly whites?

Since as early as the eighteenth century, baking soda has been used to whiten teeth. Its most common uses are for baking to make cakes rise, and household cleaning because it helps remove stains. Somewhere through the years, people figured out that it could also be used to whiten teeth.

There are several advantages to whitening your teeth with baking soda. First, it’s inexpensive and you probably already have a box in your pantry. It does a good job in getting rid of teeth stains from things like coffee, red wine, tea, and smoking. Furthermore, baking soda reduces plaque buildup on your teeth. Because plaque has a role in discoloring your teeth, baking soda can help to whiten them by removing the plaque.

Keep in mind, however, that baking soda isn’t always the best answer. It’s possible for it to remove more than just plaque and stains from your teeth. Baking soda is very abrasive and might remove enamel from your teeth if you use it too often. Don’t apply baking soda directly on your teeth any more than once weekly. Another option instead of using it “raw” on your teeth is choosing a whitening toothpaste that contains baking soda.