Baking soda for brushing teeth

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Baking Soda for Brushing Teeth: Pros & Cons

Baking soda has long been used as an alternative to toothpaste. Many people will admit to brushing teeth with baking soda. Today, many toothpaste manufacturers incorporate baking soda into their formula. As with most things, there are pros and cons associated with using this agent as a toothpaste alternative.

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Pros of Brushing Teeth with Baking Soda

  • It works to help clean teeth. According to the Journal of Clinical Dentistry (June 2008), brushing teeth with baking soda products was proven more effective than using products without baking soda.
  • It’s inexpensive. If you use just baking soda, a box will last you for a long time and costs less than $1.

Cons of Brushing Teeth with Baking Soda

  • It’s messy. Brushing teeth with baking soda may be inexpensive, but it’s certainly not neat. Baking soda manufacturers have not mastered the handy packaging you find among most toothpastes.
  • It feels gritty. Anyone who has experienced brushing teeth with baking soda will most likely comment on the unpleasant feeling of soda throughout their mouth.
  • It’s not approved by the American Dental Association (ADA). The ADA has not approved brushing teeth with baking soda.
  • Brushing with baking soda alone will not provide you with the fluoride you need to help re-mineralize teeth and prevent cavities.
Skeptical of brushing your teeth with baking soda alone? If you want the cleaning benefit provided by brushing teeth with baking soda, but also want the added protection provided by a toothpaste that contains fluoride and protects against cavities, you may consider Crest Pro-Health toothpastes. Available in various flavors/varieties (Clean Mint, Smooth Peppermint, and Whitening Power), this product is the first and only toothpaste that is accepted by the American Dental Association for six different areas: cavities, gingivitis, plaque, whitening, sensitivity, and breath.

Learn how to properly brush your teeth.
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Sources

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19278079