A lot of people long for whiter teeth, yet many people do not want to go through professional teeth-whitening services. If you can relate and have heard that baking soda is a good ingredient to use to whiten your teeth at home, you should understand what the pros and cons of this method are before you begin trying it.

The benefits of baking soda for whitening teeth

Baking soda is an inexpensive, common ingredient you probably have in your pantry. It is most commonly used for baking purposes, but a lot of people also use it for cleaning tasks and home remedies for health issues. In addition, it is an ingredient you can safely use for whitening your teeth, and there are several benefits this method offers for your teeth.

One benefit of brushing your teeth with baking soda is that it helps level out the pH balance in your mouth. The pH level in your mouth dictates how much bacteria is present, so it is always good to try to control this level if possible.

The second key benefit of baking soda is that it can help remove stains from the teeth. It is only effective for removing stains found on the outer surfaces of your teeth, though. If you have deep, intrinsic stains on your teeth, baking soda may not help a lot.

The downsides to baking soda for whitening teeth

The only real downside to using baking soda to whiten your teeth is that it is an abrasive material. This abrasiveness is what helps remove the stains from your teeth, but using baking soda on your teeth too often can actually cause damage to your teeth. If you use too much of it too often, you could actually brush off the enamel from your teeth. If this happens, you may experience sensitivity with your teeth and your teeth will not be protected against decay.  

To reap the benefits of baking soda for whitening your teeth without having to worry about the risks, you should only use it to brush your teeth every other day. You can repeat this for a couple of weeks, but then you should stop. After that, you may want to repeat this process once a month.

Brushing your teeth with baking soda may help whiten them a little, but it will not typically produce teeth that are bright white. If you would like to have teeth that are really white, you may want to visit a dentist to learn more about professional teeth whitening services.