There is a new trend on the horizon of dental health, and maybe it isn’t too bad. The ‘go natural’ trend has been on the rise over the past several years, with many people wanting to cut more toxins out of their lifestyles and their diets. In dental health, many tout baking soda as a healthy option for toothpaste and whitening gels. While baking soda is an excellent, natural cleaning agent for households, is it really safe to consume and use on your enamel?
Baking Soda and Your Teeth
Using baking soda on your teeth can have some great benefits, including whitening, but there are also things to be aware of before you start switching up your dental routine.
Whitening
Baking soda has excellent whitening properties to eliminate stains from your teeth. Most people will create a paste with baking soda using water. Depending on your whitening needs, you can use this method for 2 to 3 minutes daily to start seeing improvements.
Fluoride
Unlike drugstore or prescription toothpaste, baking soda does not contain fluoride, an essential mineral that helps protect teeth from bacteria that eat enamel and cause cavities. When using baking soda on your teeth, it is important to remember that it is not a replacement for fluoride toothpaste and does not kill bacteria.
Children and Pregnancy
Some people utilize small doses of baking soda in water to help relieve indigestion, but consuming baking soda as children or pregnant women is not advised. Before using baking soda on your teeth, and if you are pregnant, nursing, or have a child interested in using baking soda – consult your dentist.
The Best Choice for Dental Health
As always, the best option for whitening and a healthy mouth is to maintain routine dental visits at least twice per year. In addition, brushing your teeth twice per day for at least two minutes each time with a toothpaste containing fluoride and flossing daily will help promote healthy teeth and gums and eliminate bacteria that cause disease. At All Smiles Dental Group, our professional team is committed to providing excellence in dental care and whitening. If you are interested in a safe and effective whitening option, or you need to schedule your next dental appointment, please contact us today.