One of the most powerful weapons of any person is his smile. To have white teeth is a completely natural desire, however, professional whitening is a rather expensive procedure. Many are looking for simple ways to whiten tooth enamel at home. Often in this case sodium bicarbonate or, in simple terms, baking soda comes to the rescue. But is it harmless and does soda really give the desired results?
Is it possible or not to brush your teeth with soda and what enamel color depends on
According to the dentists, the color of the teeth depends on the degree of mineralization. The norm can be considered as white, and with a yellowish or bluish tint. By the way, members of the same family will have almost the same shade of tooth enamel, since it depends on a hereditary predisposition.
You can distinguish healthy from problem teeth yourself. To do this, just look carefully at the crown of the tooth. If it is slightly translucent, then the teeth are in perfect order. Even considering that the teeth can be far from perfectly white. If the crown is completely transparent and there is no radiant shine, then this indicates serious problems.
The color of tooth enamel can change for a number of reasons. The most common are:
• mercury or lead poisoning, removal of the dental nerve (the color turns gray);
• plaque (whitish color);
• mouthwash manganese or the use of foods with a high content of dyes (pinkish tint);
• tooth damage with a fungus (a shade close to green);
• drinking large amounts of water containing many salts of iron (bluish tint);
• frequent use of coffee and strong tea (the appearance of yellowness);
• smoking, insufficient dental care (dark brown framing of teeth);
• frequent tooth whitening (including soda), the process of caries that has begun (enamel coating with white spots).
You should know that it is easiest to whiten yellowish teeth, the appearance of which has deteriorated due to the abuse of coffee, strong tea or smoking. If the tooth enamel has a gray color, then due to an insignificant color transition, the result of home whitening will be almost invisible.
Can I brush my teeth with soda and why?
Soda has unique properties:
• disinfects: getting into the mouth, soda creates an alkaline environment there, in which bacteria and microbes simply cannot survive (for this reason soda is used in the treatment of fungal infections of the mucous membranes);
• cleans: soda is an abrasive that can clean any surface; fine particles with a soft structure do not damage any surfaces, but tooth enamel can easily be damaged, as it is very thin and delicate.
In cosmetology and in everyday life, soda can be used at least every day. But dentists argue that frequent brushing with baking soda can lead to poor oral health.
To brush teeth with soda: is it possible or not?
You can whiten tooth enamel yourself with the help of soda, but with great care. Most dentists do not accept this method of whitening at all. There are several good reasons for this:
• irritated oral mucosa;
• tooth enamel quickly becomes thin;
• exclusively superficial care of enamel is provided;
• harm to the mucous membrane (that is why it is not recommended to whiten teeth with soda if there are even small wounds in the mouth, healing in this case will take much longer);
• increased risk of bleeding gums;
• soda cleans only small impurities, it cannot cope with tartar and saturated plaque;
• a rash may appear around the mouth (this is a manifestation of an allergic reaction);
• increased sensitivity of the teeth (they will begin to respond with pain to too hot, cold or sour).
If you remove the above facts, then bleaching your teeth with soda is also not recommended because the effect of such a procedure is kept very little. And with such frequent whitening, the teeth very quickly begin to blacken and deteriorate.
However, the aforementioned disadvantages of teeth whitening with soda do not mean a complete ban on the procedure. If desired, and especially when you need to achieve the maximum effect quickly, soda is very useful. In this regard, it has a number of advantages:
• the result is noticeable immediately after the procedure;
• no need to spend a lot of money;
• soda eliminates bad breath from the oral cavity;
• carrying out the procedure at home.
How to brush your teeth with soda?
To whiten teeth with soda and achieve the most desired result immediately after the procedure, it is necessary to remember some nuances:
• about a month before such bleaching, it is necessary to begin to stubbornly strengthen the enamel, first of all, to include fluoride and calcium-containing products (dairy products, cucumbers, apples, nuts, carrots) in your diet;
• use not pure soda directly during the procedure, but be sure to use it in combination with toothpaste;
• rinse your mouth well after the procedure;
• an hour after the procedure there is nothing cold or hot;
• repeat the procedure no more than once a week;
• between tooth whitening procedures, use toothpaste in which there is a high content of minerals. Fluoride pastes can help make up for the loss of enamel. If suddenly after the whitening procedure the teeth become sensitive, it is necessary to stop using soda and start using special pastes that strengthen the teeth.
There are many ways to brush your teeth with soda. Here are the most popular:
1. Moisten a small piece of gauze in warm water, put a pinch of soda in it and wrap it so that it dissolves slightly. After this, rub the teeth with the resulting lotion.
2. Wet the toothbrush, pour a small pinch of soda on it, drip 3 drops of hot lemon juice from above. After this, the usual brushing is carried out.
3. Dampen the toothbrush in water, apply toothpaste to it, sprinkle soda on top with a small pinch and brush your teeth.
4. It is necessary to prepare such a composition: 0.5 tsp mix soda with 0.5 tsp. lemon juice and two drops of hydrogen peroxide (3%). Stir the resulting solution, dip a finger into it, then use your finger and rub your teeth.
5. Moisten the toothbrush with hydrogen peroxide, sprinkle soda on top and perform normal brushing.
6. There is another way to use baking soda for tooth enamel, which is aimed not so much at whitening teeth, but at cleansing from a slight plaque. This is done with a soda solution, which is very easy to prepare: 4 tbsp. stir the soda in a glass of warm water. This means you must rinse your mouth as often as possible.
Is it possible or not to brush your teeth with soda and does it compete with pharmaceuticals?
The only moment in which soda as a tooth whitener wins is its cheapness. When compared with purchased whitening products, the difference is significant. But in all other respects, soda only earns cons, since instant and short-term whitening can seriously damage the health of the teeth.
No less effective, but safer and more expensive are pharmacy products. These are gels, strips, pencils and mouth guards. Their main advantage is safety. Even so, before choosing a particular brand of a certain brand, you should visit a dentist. He will look at the condition of your teeth and tell you whether whitening is necessary.
The safest remedies for home teeth whitening are whitening toothpastes. They are presented in almost every brand that produces pasta. It also includes an abrasive substance, but it will not do as much harm as soda, just because it is crushed. The effect, however, will not be momentary, only after some time with regular use of whitening paste. But it does not harm the enamel.
From all of the above, we can conclude that teeth can be whitened with soda, however, this is not the best tool for such a procedure. But sometimes you can’t do anything for the sake of beauty. If you want to shine right now and conquer everyone with your snow-white smile, then you can take a small risk. It is worth knowing that brushing your teeth with soda is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating mothers, as well as for people who are in the postoperative period or have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
