Using baking soda for brushing teeth

Published on December 18th, 2024

I have started to use baking soda to brush my teeth (again). I don’t do this to save money on toothpaste, which is cheap and often free thanks to the lunacy of coupon clipping (this is the only place where we do this). Rather, I do it to save money on the dentist, who is evil and sadistic. For someone who is ~~contemplating~~ skipping dental insurance, this becomes a concern.

Baking soda raises the pH (I knew that) while bacteria in the mouth creates acid (low pH) as a byproduct (I knew that) which destroys the enamel (I knew that too). I just did not put those things together and thought that the main reason for including the baking soda was for its abrasive effect. In addition baking soda causes a lot of saliva which is why you can just put the powder on the toothbrush and start brushing. This saliva further helps the acid disposal process.

DIY toothpaste is basically composed of bacteria unfriendly ingredients. Use any combination of salt, baking soda, and high proof alcohol. The rest is just taste and advertising. Speaking of which; did you know that Listerine was originally invented to cure athletes foot? Instead it was turned into a mouthwash. Nothing wrong with that. Just good business practice.

Of course the main action is mechanical, so you could brush your teeth without any toothpaste whatsoever, and I suppose really frugal people chew on a stick. In that case, just keep your toothbrush in the sun to fry the bacteria with free UV radiation (not behind glass, glass has sun factor 40+ and stops most UV). Alternatively, if you’re a consumer, you just buy one of those electric toothpaste where you don’t have to move your hand and UV light so you don’t have to walk all the way over to the window to put the toothbrush down, but instead have to work a job to pay for it. Also the consumer product has the side effect of stimulating the economy(!)

Originally posted 2008-07-25 08:07:54.

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43 users responded in " Using baking soda for brushing teeth "

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Moneymonk said,

I always do that, sometimes I add a dash of peroxide.

I laugh when I see touthpaste ads with baking soda added, as if that helps. With baking soda, you don’t need the toothpaste. I guess it’s needed, so it can taste better. LOL

Most people can wash clothes, clean the house and use toothpaste as baking soda.

lulugal11 said,

I love my baking soda toothpaste 🙂
I like the way you talked about the solar UV things and putting the toothbrush in the sun. I never thought about putting the toothbrush in sunlight (and no I don’t own a uv light thing for my toothbrush).

Gamma said,

I also use baking soda to brush my teeth. It leaves my mouth feeling fresher than 95% of the toothpastes on the market.

My only concern – and one that I haven’t been able to find an answer to yet – is that I’m supposed to eliminate salt due to high blood pressure and baking soda is sodium, correct?

DJ said,

I’m a dentist. I think you are completely right about not needing toothpaste. Mechanical cleaning is what’s important. Flossing is far more important than brushing. Do them both, but if you only did one thing for your teeth, it should be flossing.

A lot of “competing” brands of toothpaste are made by the same companies. The strategy seems to be putting a lot of brands on the shelf so you are more likely to pick one that is made by that company.

doubleourmoney said,

Wow, how can one go wrong with a recommendation by a dentist…flossing is one thing you should do for your teeth.

DJ said,

Dental plaque is mostly made up of anaerobic bacteria. Flossing breaks up the plaque and allows oxygen in so it can kill the anaerobes.

I’m probably telling you more than you wanted to know. It doesn’t take much to get a dentist excited…

Jacob said,

@moneymonk – wash clothes with baking soda?

@gamma – table salt is sodium chloride (NaCl), baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). I think it’s the sodium that acts in the biochemical system but I don’t know much. However, as long as you spit it out the effect has to be smaller?

@DJ – I suppose that’s why the hydrogenperoxide works as well? Actually I’m quite interested in how it works. All my dentists ever tell me is what to do. Not why. For instance, is it better to do a shoddy job at cleaning right after eating or a better job several hours after eating? What’s the “incubation” time of the damaging bacteria so to speak? Where do they live – mainly, is a tongue scraper worthwhile. Actually, the million dollar question – what can people do to never have a cavity again? Another thing I’d like to know … do dentists (and people in the industry) have significantly better mouth health than the rest of the population?

DJ said,

@Jacob- First, a disclaimer. I went to dental school 20 years ago. Many of the continueing eduaction classes I have taken since then have dealt with children’s dentistry rather than adults. Adults are so borring…

If my memory is correct, the plaque needs more than 24 hours to get to the point where it’s damaging to your periodontal health. (Adults should be more concerned with perio than cavities.) I floss twice a day.

About not getting another cavity- You can do that if your existing fillings are small. If they are big, they will wear out more quickly and need replacement. Some day, you may need a crown.

I’m 50 and haven’t had a new cavity since I was a teen. I do have two crowns because my teeth cracked. Those teeth had been weakened by mid-sized fillings placed many years ago.

You might be wondering why a 50-year-old guy is reading a blog about early retirement. I have been “retired” for most of my career. Simple living allows me to do the work I want, when I want, and in the quantity I want. I like working with low income children, so that’s what I do in my “retirement.”

Thrifty said,

@DJ,
My kid at 21 month refuses to brush, let along floss. Do you have any suggestions on saving her dental bill? Her teeth looked worth than mine and sometimes she have gum inflammation. All my dentist tells me is keep trying and wait till she’s 2.5 years old so they can operate on her.

dwarsco said,

try some lime juice on your baking soda (i mix the two in a cup). really good!!!! and also +1 on the flossing.

Chris L said,

Try baking soda as deoderant. It works so good I can get away with using it every other day. Just mix a teaspoon with 2-3 drops of water and rub it on. Wipe off the excess so it doesn’t chafe and never over apply (for the chaffing). I’ll never switch back and never smell. Did I mention that I can skip days. It neutralizes the odor so much that it took me months to get used to not smelling anymore. Give yourself 2 weeks to measure the results though….at first you;re going to be fighting with your old stick on stuff that clogged up your pores and didn’t really work anyway (can you read marketing induced dependency).

michelleh said,

Hi–I recently tarnished my new porcelain crowns a bit by using oral minerals. Can I use baking soda or peroxide on my crowns without fear of taking off the glaze? If not, does anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks!

Brushing Teeth said,

Brushing your teeth is always important. Good article. The tough thing, though, is brushing your teeth with braces. It can be tough to get around the brackets.

LOVE said,

i’ve been using baking soda for a while and i love it. it cleans my mouth so amazingly. my mouth always feels so nice. i no longer have sensitivities and my plaque is going away. i definitely recommend baking soda! 1LOVE

OceanStar said,

i have been using baking soda and lime but im not sure if i should because im thinking that might be a little to much acid for my teeth and cause my enamel to break down ?

Jacob said,

@OceanStar – Lime? Do you mean the fruit or the mineral?

Fort Lauderdale Jack said,

I also have an elevated blood pressure since I started brushing with just Baking Soda. Never reaching for the salt shaker, it would be interesting to see how many more baking soda believers also have developed this condition. After brushing, I swish for 3 minutes with the new TOTAL from Listerine and my dentist saw no plaque and complemented me on such a hygienically clean mouth.

tom blum said,

“Speaking of which; did you know that Listerine was originally invented to cure athletes foot? Instead it was turned into a mouthwash. Nothing wrong with that”

Now, there’s synergy at it’s best. Think of “foot in mouth syndrome” and treat with listerine

TTFN

Felix said,

I’ve read that baking soda wears down your enamel (having a high pH), so you shouldn’t use it as it basically wears down your teeth. Enamel is not being replaced.

frugalscholar said,

Yes, floss.

Also–babyboomers are stressed out and grinding teeth or clenching jaws. This will cause lots of problems down the line–like cracked teeth, etc.

HSpencer said,

@dj

Thanks for your excellent advice. A nice thing about this blog is having experts commenting. A resident dentist is a pure bonus!
I have been one who visits the dentist office on the every six months basis for cleanings. Being retired military, I have excellent dental insurance at almost no cost, so I “use” it freely and copiously. I consider my personal dentist outstanding, and I sincerely hope I am long gone before he retires. If you might comment on something for me, I will ask a question. My dentist has two hygienists on staff. Each 6 months I get one or the other of them for my cleaning. Their methods are totally different, although equally effective it seems. One uses a high speed water jet, and a high speed polisher. The other uses the older method of “hunt and scrape”. Both measure every other visit for bone loss. One insists on fluoride application, the other says it’s not necessary each cleaning. My mouth is pretty sore after the “hunt and scrape” lady, but no soreness after the water jet lady.
My question is: Would not the dentist prescribe a standard method of cleaning in his office? What do you think is the best method?

Thanks!!

retirebyforty said,

OK, I’ll try it and see if it works for me. Maybe start out with baking soda once a day and increase if it works. I brush 3-4 times a day with Colgate…

James Schipper said,

I started using baking soda to brush with about a year ago after I read about it here. 2 weeks ago, my dentist said my teeth were MUCH better than a year ago.

I floss and brush only with baking soda now.

BeyondtheWrap said,

Can someone address what Felix said? I am also concerned about the possible effects of baking soda on one’s enamel.

prodgod said,

My two concerns with baking soda would be scratching of the enamel and lack of fluoride.

Kevin M said,

The science lesson has me convinced, going to try it tonight.

Concojones said,

I’ve heard the same (toothpaste being redundant) from my uncle who is a dentist. I came to the opposite conclusion (but I haven’t yet presented it to him): toothpaste foam softens the impact of the toothbrush on your gums (try it, you can put much more pressure without injuring yourself). It’s like motor oil in a motor. And you don’t want to irritate your gums with harsh brushing because the gums withdraw, teeth become sensitive to cold etc, and finally fall out.

I’ve never tried baking soda. Can anyone tell me whether it produces some kind of foam as well (softening the harshness from brushing, like toothpaste)?

Concojones said,

Okay, I’ve tried it (baking soda as toothpaste) and I don’t like its abrasive effect, similar to “whitening” toothpaste (which I dislike for the same reason). The best toothpaste IMHO is something that foams in your mouth (for the “motor oil” effect mentioned above), and no crap in it (fluor, abrasives — those are for people that brush once every fifteen weeks).

Here’s my advice on teeth brushing. I’m not an expert, although I’m well-informed due to all the dentists in my family, but I don’t copy their advice blindly. I found that I can have caries-free, smooth teeth (smooth, when I run my tongue over them) by using a toothbrush with many, dense, soft hairs; a non-abrasive toothpaste; a soft brushing technique (massaging rather than scraping your gum); flossing (as the brush doesn’t get to the most critical places). Finding a good brush is the hardest part, since the new fashion seems to be few stiff brush hairs (poorly cleans teeth IMHO, pushes back your gum making your teeth sensitive to cold, but makes you consume more toothpaste which means $$ for the manufacturer). The only good ones I know are the Sensodyne Search 3.5 (not manufactured anymore except in the UK, AFAIK) and the newer Sensodyne “ultra soft”. They’re good because they have the features I mentioned above, unlike any other brush.

Dancedancekj said,

As a younger dentist (still in dental school actually!) I find that most of my patients that need the most work are usually the ones that don’t have good oral hygiene in the first place. There are exceptions of course, but taking care of your teeth is so simple and effective that it doesn’t make sense not to do it. A small investment in a toothbrush and floss sure beats shelling out money for fillings, crowns, or implants. Or not drinking so much soda pop 🙂

Asker said,

is using baking powder effects the same way as using baking soda??;(

steph said,

put a little bit of ground cinnamon in your baking soda before brushing. also, using ground herbs mixed in also helps like neem and myrrh. (amongst many others)

angel said,

A dentist told me to put baking soda on the gums, not rub just put it there and rinse. It alkalizes the gum area and prevents erosion. I’ve recently been brushing with mainly water and then I use baking soda on my tongue, and brush with highly diluted baking soda as to not harm the enamel and gums. My teeth have been much better. The glycerine in toothpaste adheres to the enamel and prevents re-mineralization not to mention the chemicals in toothpaste like SLS and fluoride. Yes fluoride is a chemical. It does say on the tube not to swallow. Also it’s best to rinse the mouth out after eating, especialy citrus or anything caustic like sodas.

arual said,

@dj
Can using baking soda wear down fillings? A friend of mine told me that when they used baking soda it worked great but the next month he couldnt drink a cold glass of water because it had made his fillings sensitive :s

kelly said,

I’ve been using baking soda for about 2 years. My dentist says my teeth are very healthy. I have no plac build up on them at all. I have very little problems with bad breath. I too have heard some of the stories about all the bad stuff in tooth paste. That’s why I quit using it. My only question/concern is the sodium effect it may have on my body. I know that if it goes under your tongue it goes straight into your bloodstream. So is it harmfull or not?

bales33 said,

Kelly your body needs sodium. Which is why many extinct animals can be found near what was once salt likes, we all need it in some sense. Just don’t use to much of it. Besides sodium is salt…

Gin said,

I’ve been using baking soda for over 10 years. I’ve had no cavities and have to have very little work done for cleaning (when I go in). I started useing baking soda because toothpaste causes my gums to bleed. I’m obviously reacting to something in it. Sometimes (when travelling) I switch back to toothpaste – in a week my gums are bleeding again and my mouth feels like it’s always coated. I put whole clove in a jar with the soda – I alternate with cinnamon sticks – just for flavour.

Kaizenburst said,

If you want to find the root cause of dental problems, you need to search deeper than brushing. Brushing is the bandaid. Correcting the diet is the solution.

http://www.westonaprice.org/basics/principles-of-healthy-diets

saveyourteeth(dot)com said,

That is the website of my dentist — who specializes in natural dentistry and does not use fillings containing mercury.

He recommends using an aluminum-free baking soda mixed with salt/sea salt. When brushing with it he recommends a kiddie-sized toothbrush (which I get for “free” when I go for cleanings).

When not in use my toothbrush sits in a baby-food jar filled with hydrogen peroxide. This is not only to disinfect it but to keep the critters around here from taking a stroll over it.

@Gin I do not know what you are reacting to in your toothpaste. But I know that some toothpastes contain sodium lauryl sulfate (or a similar chemical), and that that chemical gives me a rash. (I figured that out because I had the same reaction to a shampoo and a dishwashing liquid.) When I looked up that chemical in a local library I learned that my experience is not unusual.

I now am suspicious of anything made my industry for my use. I know from experience that they are not to be trusted.

Nick | Millionaires Giving Money said,

Makes complete sense. I’m going to try this as my family goes through tubs of toothpaste every week. Terrible. Great post.

Rebekah said,

How about increasing the quality of food you eat, like making sure you get enough vitamin D? Teeth are made of bone and their decay is a sign of alarm. A living tissue shouldn’t decay in a healthy person. Saliva is the best antiseptic as long as it is produced in the right quantity – tooth infections do get more frequent as we age when xerostomia sets in.
As for food choices, I regularly buy small salted fish which I leave over night in cold water for desalting. I eat them with lettuce leaves and bread for a fast and nutritious breakfast. Sometimes, I even crunch on dried fish as a snack.

T H said,

My teeth color almost red, this occured after my milk teeth. i dont know why it turn to this colr and i dont know of any medical method of making it white

Kevin Andrews said,

Warnings

* Baking soda can dissolve orthodontic glue. Do not use this method if you have braces or a permanent retainer.
* Don’t brush your teeth too hard as it may damage your enamel (which is called as abrasion), leading to hypersensitivity.
* Do not use this method too often as the abrasion can permanently damage the enamel of your teeth. There are some special toothpaste brands (often for smokers) which contain much gentler abrasives than baking soda. They can be used daily without any risk for the health of your teeth and help to remove not only tobacco stains but also stains from coffee, tea, and wine.

Green Girl's Don't Get Fat said,

I love using baking soda and it has made my teeth cleanings a breeze. However, I have heard that it can be abrasive. I use it just once or twice a week. Other good alternatives is to use coconut oil and there are some essential oils that are good for killing the bacteria. I do oil pulling a few times a week. I put a small amount of organic, unprocessed olive oil and coconut oil in my mouth and swish around for 10 minutes, then spit out. This has made my teeth and mouth feel amazing.

But, the biggest thing to keep the dentist away is eating a healthy diet.

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