Most of us take care of our oral hygiene by brushing our teeth twice a day with toothpaste. Some people, however, prefer more natural products and wonder whether baking soda can be used instead.
So, is baking soda really good for your teeth? Baking soda can help clean teeth and remove some surface stains, but that doesn’t mean it should replace fluoride toothpaste. Here’s what you should know before adding it to your oral hygiene routine.
Baking Soda vs Toothpaste
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a mild abrasive that can help remove plaque and surface stains from teeth. It can also help neutralize acids in the mouth, which is one reason baking soda is included in many commercial toothpastes.
Baking soda may also help with some of the bacteria associated with plaque and bad breath. Because it can remove surface stains, baking soda is also commonly associated with whitening teeth.
Where baking soda falls short is cavity protection. Plain baking soda doesn’t contain fluoride. Fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay, which is why fluoride toothpaste remains the better choice for everyday brushing.
Rather than replacing toothpaste altogether, baking soda can complement a regular oral hygiene routine or be used in a toothpaste that contains both baking soda and fluoride.
Using Baking Soda as Toothpaste: How to Do It Safely
If you want to brush with plain baking soda occasionally, use a small amount mixed with enough water to form a paste. Brush gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush rather than scrubbing your teeth aggressively.
Keep in mind that baking soda by itself doesn’t provide the cavity protection you get from fluoride toothpaste. For most people, brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste should remain the foundation of their daily oral hygiene routine.
Another option is to choose a commercial toothpaste that contains both baking soda and fluoride. This provides the cleaning and stain-removal benefits associated with baking soda while still providing fluoride for cavity protection.
Is Baking Soda Good for Your Teeth?
Baking soda can be good for your teeth when it’s used appropriately. Sodium bicarbonate is a mild abrasive that can help lift surface stains and neutralize acid in the mouth, which is why it appears in many commercial toothpastes.
Its main limitation is that plain baking soda doesn’t contain fluoride, so on its own it doesn’t strengthen enamel or help prevent cavities the way fluoride toothpaste does.
For most patients, the better approach is to use fluoride toothpaste for daily cavity protection and consider baking soda as an additional cleaning or stain-removing ingredient rather than a replacement for toothpaste.
Baking Soda and Enamel: What the RDA Value Really Means
One concern people sometimes have about baking soda is whether it’s too abrasive for tooth enamel.
Toothpaste abrasivity is commonly measured using Relative Dentin Abrasivity, or RDA. Despite its gritty texture, baking soda itself has relatively low abrasivity compared with many other abrasive ingredients used in toothpaste.
That doesn’t mean harder brushing is better. Brushing too aggressively can contribute to tooth and gum problems regardless of the toothpaste or cleaning product you use. A soft-bristled toothbrush and gentle brushing technique are the safer choice.
Commercial toothpastes that contain baking soda may also contain other abrasive ingredients, so the abrasivity of a finished toothpaste depends on its complete formulation, not simply whether it contains baking soda.
What About Fluoride Toothpaste?
Fluoride is one of the primary reasons dentists recommend using toothpaste rather than brushing with plain baking soda alone.
Fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel and can help prevent, slow, and even reverse the earliest stages of tooth decay. For that reason, fluoride toothpaste is recommended as part of a regular oral hygiene routine for most adults and children.
Like many substances, fluoride can cause problems if excessive amounts are swallowed. Children should therefore use the appropriate amount of toothpaste for their age and be supervised while brushing until they can reliably spit it out.
For normal brushing, however, fluoride toothpaste remains an important and well-established tool for preventing cavities.
Conclusion
Baking soda can be useful for cleaning teeth, removing some surface stains, and neutralizing acids in the mouth. It’s also relatively low in abrasivity, despite its gritty texture.
But plain baking soda doesn’t provide everything your teeth need. Most importantly, it doesn’t contain fluoride for cavity protection.
For most people, the best option is to continue brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. If you like the cleaning benefits of baking soda, consider a fluoride toothpaste that also contains baking soda or ask your dentist how to incorporate baking soda safely into your oral hygiene routine.
Call Kirkland dental office at (425) 822-0435 if you have questions about which toothpaste or oral hygiene products are right for you.
