Is brushing with baking soda harmful?

The benefits of using baking soda or sodium bicarbonate as a cleaning agent for your teeth go a long way past simply brightening the teeth. It also acts as an inexpensive remedy for various gum diseases and mouth sores. Given these significant advantages, why is brushing with baking soda harmful for your teeth?

What Is Baking Soda?

Baking soda finds its use in various household activities, from baking to deodorizing things. This mild bleaching agent also works wonders in getting rid of difficult stains. A lot of people use this to maintain their dental hygiene. The alkaline nature of the soda helps in removing stains and cavity-causing bacteria from your teeth. It also eliminates the plaque that gets gradually deposited on the teeth due to the breakdown of food.

Thus, baking soda is used in the preparation of many types of toothpaste. Since it is readily available at home, a lot of people use it in various combinations such as mixed with water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or coconut oil to get the best possible results.

Disadvantages Of Brushing With Baking Soda

Even though it has many benefits, baking soda might be doing more harm to your teeth than good. Excessive brushing with baking soda is harmful due to the following reasons:

• The abrasive nature of this compound will eventually degrade the protective outer covering of your teeth or the enamel. Since it cannot be repaired after damage, it is essential to avoid any such chemicals such as baking soda that may cause the degradation of this layer.
• It is devoid of fluoride which seeps into the weaker sections of the teeth and gets deposited there, preventing the formation of any cavity. It thus cannot protect you from cavities or tooth decay.
• Continual use of baking soda may even prove to be damaging for the soft gum part.
• Another disadvantage of using baking soda as an alternative for toothpaste is its unpleasant taste. The gritty texture of the compound can also be troublesome.
• Using baking soda more than twice a week for cleaning the teeth may even result in sensitivity and severe toothache.

Alternative:

You do not have to depend on abrasive chemicals to get brighter teeth. Thorough cleaning in between the teeth and regular flossing can go a long way with regards to keeping up dental wellbeing.

Everyone desires whiter teeth that complement their smile. Baking soda may help brighten your teeth, but its excessive use may lead to the erosion of the outer layer of the teeth. If the enamel gets degraded, it becomes easier for the harmful bacteria to deposit between the teeth and cause cavities or tooth decay.

Baking soda may produce excellent short term results, but using it too frequently or vigorously may cause irreversible damage to your oral health. It is thus advisable to use safer alternatives that are easy on your teeth.

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