Can Baking Soda Improve Your Oral Health? (2024)

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Can Baking Soda Improve Your Oral Health? ›

The Benefits of Baking Soda on Oral Health

Reduces Acidity and Plaque

As such, baking soda not only prevents tooth decay but also helps remineralize your enamel. Baking soda can also limit plaque buildup by neutralizing plaque acids. Many kinds of toothpaste contain baking soda to help clean teeth more effectively and protect against plaque.

When taken by mouth: Sodium bicarbonate is likely safe when used appropriately, short-term. Over-the-counter antacid products containing sodium bicarbonate are considered safe and effective by the US FDA.

Baking soda can neutralize acids that contribute to gum disease. In addition, research published in the Journal of Clinical Dentistry in 2017 found that toothpastes with sodium bicarbonate performed better than those without at removing plaque.

While baking soda can't protect your teeth from cavities as effectively as a fluoride toothpaste can, it's still considered a good cleaning agent for your teeth. Toothpastes containing baking soda have been shown to have antibacterial properties, which can help protect your teeth from decay.

A supplement to The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) summarized research on the effects of baking soda on oral health and found that: It's low-abrasive and safe for daily use.

Can You Have Too Much Baking Soda? The National Capital Poison Center warns that too much baking soda can be toxic. It's highly unlikely anyone will ingest enough with a mouth rinse to have any adverse baking soda mouthwash side effects, but it's worth noting all the same.

Some people drink baking soda for indigestion and other purposes, but drinking baking soda can be dangerous and is not suitable for long-term use, use during pregnancy, or use in children.

Sodium bicarbonate , also known as baking soda, is used to relieve heartburn, sour stomach, or acid indigestion by neutralizing excess stomach acid. When used for this purpose, it is said to belong to the group of medicines called antacids. It may be used to treat the symptoms of stomach or duodenal ulcers.

A 2021 review found that sodium bicarbonate may help slow the decline of kidney function and significantly improve vascular endothelial function (blood flow) in people with CKD. Another 2022 study examined the use of sodium bicarbonate treatment in people with late stage CKD and metabolic acidosis.

How to apply baking soda on gums? ›

Lacks Remineralization

One significant drawback of using baking soda as your primary toothpaste is its lack of nano hydroxyapatite, a critical mineral for dental health. The American Dental Association confirms that remineralization is necessary to tackle tooth decay.

Baking soda and saltwater solution acts like a double-action power-packed antibacterial mouth rinse. Besides bacterial elimination, it works well to drain the abscess from gums, reducing pain.

The Disadvantages And Risks Of Using Baking Soda

It can damage the enamel which may cause the teeth to become more sensitive than they should be to hot or cold temperatures, and it can also make brushing your teeth by itself painful. Damage to the enamel can also make the teeth more likely to attract cavities.

It is slightly abrasive and if used repeatedly over time it can weaken tooth enamel, making your teeth more sensitive and vulnerable to dental cavities. Baking soda on its own does not kill the bacteria in the mouth that cause cavities and tooth decay.

It cannot be used every day. At most a family dentist would recommend using it twice a week. Since there are toothpastes available which contain baking soda, seeking out one of these products is a compromise which allows teeth to get the benefits of sodium bicarbonate daily.

Studies have shown that baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, can effectively kill bacteria in the mouth. Research indicates that toothpastes containing high concentrations of baking soda effectively reduce bad breath. To make a baking soda mouthwash, add 2 teaspoons of baking soda to 1 cup of warm water.

There are a few ways to use this pantry staple to support oral health, including as a home remedy for teeth infections. First, you can try making a paste of equal parts baking soda and water, then applying it to your gums. This method works especially well when the abscess is on the side of your tooth or on your gums.