Baking Soda and Dentistry
Baking Soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, has many, many uses. So how can it be used in your mouth?
Many claims are made about the benefits of baking soda for tooth brushing. It can whiten your teeth and remove stains. But BEWARE! Baking soda is pretty abrasive and can, over time with too vigorous brushing, wear your tooth structure away. There is also a baking soda brand of toothpaste which also gives these benefits.
Baking soda is sometimes mixed with vinegar to make a rinse. This does not having any effect on killing bacteria, but it does create an environment where the gums can heal better, at least on the surface. Just make a slurry and brush gently. Of course, you must also floss to keep the food matter and bacteria away from between the teeth. And if the pockets are too deep (4mm or more) you can’t get to that with the rinse. That’s where your hygienist comes to the rescue!
Another advantage to baking soda for brushing or using it as part of a mouthwash is it doesn’t have all of those additives that you find in most of the products that are sold in the stores. If you check out the possible side effects of triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), or even the alcohol that you find in mouth rinses, there is much to be said for making your own concoction where you know what’s in it.