Introduction
Hollywood stars live it, on posters people with bright white teeth always smile at us and advertising also promises a bright white smile with many different means, quasi overnight. More and more people are looking for the easiest, best and also cheapest way to get their teeth whiter. Can the use of baking powder help?
Note on caution!
Baking powder is able to whiten the teeth. However, the use of baking powder for teeth whitening is definitely not recommended! Although discoloration can be removed in the short term, the aggressive, abrasive (wearing off) effect of the powder does not stop at the enamel.
The enamel is also attacked and decomposed. The gums are also irritated and can become inflamed or retract. The tooth is therefore weakened. Problems that occur with frequent use of baking powder:
- Increased susceptibility to caries
- Irritated/infected gums
- Exposed tooth necks
- Weakening of the enamel
- Pain when eating sour and sweet food
- Roughening of the tooth and thus easier adhesion of plaque
Functionality
The sodium hydrogen carbonate, or sodium bicarbonate for short, contained in baking powder is also an ingredient in many whitening toothpastes, as it has an abrasive character to remove discoloration etc. All toothpastes contain abrasive particles, which clean the tooth as small cleaning particles. If the baking powder is now mixed with water, a foam is created which grinds the tooth from the outside and begins to remove the superficial dirt particles. You can imagine it like sandpaper.
Alternatives
Special toothpastes for teeth whitening are usually more suitable for use, as the abrasive bodies they contain are less strong and aggressive. They can be used daily and remove superficial distances to a certain extent, as they can be caused by smoking, coffee or even tea. But even these can cause problems for people with sensitive gums.
Also, some of the toothpastes that promise white teeth contain micro-plastic particles that are very harmful to the environment. Other household remedies, such as using lemon juice or brushing the teeth with normal commercial salt, are rather not to be used because, similar to baking powder, it is more likely to damage the tooth and the granulation is too coarse. The protective tooth enamel must be preserved in any case.
The safest methods to achieve healthy white teeth that permanently retain their color and are not aggressive to the enamel are those that are discussed and applied together with a dentist you trust. These are of course much more expensive than the above-mentioned home remedy, but do not harm dental health to the same extent. The dentist uses more concentrated whitening agents, so that for some procedures one session is sufficient.
The agent is applied to the teeth and activated. The oxygen produced in the process now bleaches the teeth. Alternatively, splints can be used, in which the bleaching agent is filled in beforehand and which the patient then puts in his mouth. This is called bleaching.
