8/3/2019 Benefits of Brushing Your Teeth with Baking Soda

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BENEFITS OF BRUSHING YOUR TEETH WITH BAKING SODA

We have all heard about the many uses for baking soda, the natural cleaner.But have you tried brushing your teeth with it? Baking soda has been used as a

tooth cleanser for over 150 years. Somehow it got the reputation as beingabrasive, therefore detrimental to the enamel. Nothing could be farther fromthe truth. Toothpastes are rated on a scale from 0 200 according to theirabrasiveness. This is called the RDA value or Relative Dentin Abrasiveness.Pure baking soda has an RDA of 7. The closest RDA to this is 35, which is Arm &Hammer baking soda tooth paste. The RDAs for every other tooth paste on themarket just go up from here. You can read more about toothpastes and theirrespective RDA values here.

There are many reasons for using baking soda for brushing teeth. It is not onlythe least abrasive substance to use but it also whitens teeth, removes stain,

and is also an effective germ killer against the bacteria that cause tooth decayand gum disease.

You may be wondering just what baking soda is and how it works.Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a white, crystalline, slightly alkalinepowder. This weakly alkaline baking soda, when dissolved in water, releasesfree radicals. When baking soda is put into the mouth, the free radicals fromthe mixture interact with the stain molecules on the teeth enamel and oxidizethe yellow and brown stains on the teeth. Thus, baking soda breaks down thediscoloration of the teeth, thereby brightening and whitening the teeth thathave stain built up from drinking tea, coffee, colas, chewing tobacco, and

smoking.

Besides oxidizing (scraping off) the stains on the teeth baking soda alsoremoves plaque form the teeth. Plaque removal prevents the teeth fromdecaying and also freshens the breath. The alkaline baking soda helps toneutralize acidic bacterial wastes. The higher the pH of the mouth the better,as decay causing bacteria does not thrive in an alkaline environment. Overall,brushing with baking soda is believed to enhance dental health. That is why somany people who have been using baking soda all their lives appear to havehealthy teeth and gum.

If you are concerned about the absence of fluoride when brushing with bakingsoda, you can simply put some commercial fluoridated toothpaste on yourtoothbrush. Then dip the toothpaste brush into the baking soda. It will pick upthe right amount of baking soda to make a nice paste. Use that to brush with.A side note regarding fluoride: The benefits of fluoride and fluoridated waterhave been a controversial matter for a long time. There are not many expertswho feel that toothpaste should not contain fluoride at all, nor should thepublic drinking water! The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and ADA

8/3/2019 Benefits of Brushing Your Teeth with Baking Soda

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(American Dental Association) just recently lowered the allowable PPM (partper million) of fluoride in drinking water from 1.2 ppm down to .7 ppm. Manycountries have banned public water fluoridation altogether. ADA, on the otherhand, has always supported and recommended the use of fluoride in toothpasteand adding it to drinking water for its role in cavity prevention. For more

information on this controversial matter please refer to our previous blog postabout fluoride here.

HOW TO BRUSH WITH BAKING SODA

1) It is best to pour some baking soda into a small dish or container so thatit can be discarded every few weeks and replaced with fresh bakingsoda. Day after day of dipping your wet toothbrush into the powdercauses it to clump up.

2) Dampen your toothbrush with water. You can also dampen it withmouthrinse if you want to disguise the taste of the baking soda.

3) Dip the toothbrush in the baking soda and get as much baking soda tostick to it as possible.

4) Brush your teeth for two minutes. Start brushing the biting surfaces ofthe teeth first. Brush for 15 seconds or so to allow the baking soda tomix with the saliva and become creamy. If you place the powderdirectly on the gums before allowing it to mix with the saliva it canirritate the gums.

5) Brush the tongue for 20 seconds as well. Many germs live on the tongue.6) Rinse with clear water or with water that is flavored slightly with

mouthrinse. This will give the mouth a fresh, minty taste.I personally believe in using products that are more natural and less processed

with natural ingredients. Where toothpastes contain all kinds of chemicalswhich may induce allergies and canker sores or exacerbate recession andenamel abrasion, using baking soda as toothpaste powder seems to be agreat alternative for commercially available toothpaste. Baking soda is theleast abrasive agent and a great stain remover. It also slows down the growthof the bacteria which causes tooth decay and gum disease by increasing the pHof the mouth. It is also very cost effective for the entire family. If you dontlike the salty taste and would like to add fluoride to your oral hygiene routine,please use a fluoridated mouthwash in combination with baking soda and giveyour teeth a chance to be brushed with the least abrasive agent which also hasmany other benefits.