How to Help Whiten Teeth with Baking Soda

A Home Remedy for Teeth Whitening

You just need equal parts baking soda and water to make your own home remedy for teeth whitening. This creates a DIY toothpaste you can then use to get those chompers looking whiter and brighter again!

If you enjoy coffee, tea, or red wine, you know that these tasty drinks can stain your teeth. Many people find that a brighter smile is a big boost to their confidence and want to know how to whiten their teeth.

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, makes an easy and effective DIY home remedy for teeth whitening, and it’s a compound you probably already have in your kitchen. Studies published in The Journal of the American Dental Association showed that baking soda is an effective stain remover and whitening ingredient for oral care.

Grab your trusted orange box of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda and take it to the bathroom for some teeth whitening magic.

How Does Baking Soda Whiten Your Teeth?

Baking soda is good for teeth whitening because it is a very mild abrasive, which helps remove stains from the surface of your teeth. In addition, the alkalinity of baking soda helps to neutralize the acids produced by bacteria in the mouth.

How to Use Baking Soda to Whiten Teeth

Have your teeth yellowed, or do you have brown stains on your teeth? This DIY baking soda toothpaste can help clean and whiten your teeth. Follow these steps to use baking soda as a teeth whitener:

1. Mix about a tablespoon of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda with about a tablespoon of water in a small bowl (roughly equal parts baking soda and water). You’ll make a thick paste that you can apply to your teeth with your fingers or a soft-bristled toothbrush.
2. For best results, brush for about two minutes using circular motions and be sure to coat all of your teeth with the paste. Gently brush all around your mouth, hitting each tooth. Do not scrub too hard or use too much force.
3. After two minutes, spit out the baking soda and rinse your mouth thoroughly with water or mouthwash. Rinse your toothbrush as well.

You can whiten your teeth with baking soda at home. Or, you can also break out the baking soda when on a camping trip or traveling.

Can You Use Any Type of Baking Soda to Whiten Teeth?

Baking soda is indeed edible. Still, you want to be careful about what kind of baking soda you’re using to whiten your teeth. You should only use baking soda you employ for cooking when whitening teeth.

Stay away from any baking soda used for cleaning and deodorizing and instead grab the same orange box or shaker bottle you use to make holiday scones or tenderize meats! That ARM & HAMMER™ Fridge-n-Freezer™ pack in the refrigerator might have baking soda, but it’s for absorbing funky odors. You certainly don’t want to put that in your mouth!

How to Use Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide for Teeth Whitening

For more intense whitening, you can substitute over-the-counter hydrogen peroxide for the water in your DIY baking soda teeth whitening recipe. The solution will bubble and fizz some as the two ingredients combine.

Teeth whitening strips and kits with trays use hydrogen peroxide to whiten teeth, as do dental offices when you go in for a whitening treatment. Using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide is an easy and inexpensive tooth whitening possibility, if recommended by your dentist.

1. Mix 1 tablespoon baking soda with 2 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide in a small bowl.
2. Follow the steps for brushing listed above.
3. When using the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide method, keep the paste on your teeth for one minute before rinsing.
4. Spit and rinse out your mouth with water. Be careful not to swallow the paste.

Can I Mix Baking Soda with My Toothpaste for Whitening?

Yes, you can mix baking soda with your toothpaste to help with added teeth whitening a couple times per week. Add baking soda to your existing toothpaste by either dipping your toothbrush bristles into baking soda and adding your toothpaste on top or squeezing toothpaste into a small bowl, adding a teaspoon of baking soda, and mixing.

Remember, you shouldn’t whiten your teeth more than two times per week, whether you’re adding hydrogen peroxide, baking soda or both. For everyday use, try a whitening toothpaste that has baking soda already built-in and may also have fluoride to help prevent cavities and strengthen your teeth.

Baking Soda Toothpaste for Teeth Whitening

If you want to get the benefits of teeth whitening with baking soda but you prefer the ease and taste of a toothpaste, ARM & HAMMER™ offers a variety of products that help whiten teeth gently.

• ARM & HAMMER™ Advanced White™ Extreme Whitening Toothpaste uses baking soda, peroxide and Stain Defense™ Technology to whiten teeth, gently remove stains and control tartar.
• ARM & HAMMER™ Sensitive Toothpaste helps relieve tooth and nerve sensitivity and gently whitens teeth with baking soda while helping to protect your enamel.
• ARM & HAMMER™ Complete Care Whole Mouth Protection Toothpaste offers a deep clean throughout your mouth, in between teeth and along the gum lines. It gently whitens your teeth and removes up to 3X more plaque in hard-to-reach areas.*

*Compared to a leading toothpaste

When you need to protect your teeth and gums and are looking to gently whiten teeth or freshen your breath, choose an ARM & HAMMER™ Toothpaste!

Use Baking Soda to Whiten Your Teeth!

If you already have a favorite toothpaste or oral hygiene routine, you can add a weekly whitening treatment with baking soda to help keep your smile bright. Break out the orange box of ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda or your go-to tube of ARM & HAMMER™ Toothpaste and see why brushing with baking soda is better!

You can also bring the classic orange box or ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda Shaker on the go for your cooking or cleaning and deodorizing needs.