Can You Use Baking Soda As Toothpaste?

Last Updated on April 21, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

Remember when we talked about why you shouldn’t use baking soda as an exfoliant? It’s way too harsh and can seriously dry out and irritate skin.

It strips the skin’s natural oils, disrupts your moisture barrier, and can leave you red, raw, and wondering why your skin feels like sandpaper. Basically, it’s like using kitchen cleaner on your face. Just because it technically gets the job done doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

But what about baking soda as toothpaste? Here’s where it gets a bit tricky. Baking soda can be good for teeth, but NOT when used alone. Here’s what I mean…

What Is Baking Soda?

Ok, quick pit stop before we get into the toothpaste bit. Baking soda isn’t just some random white powder sitting in your baking drawer. It’s actually a type of mineral salt.

Not the fancy pink kind you put on your avocado toast, by the way. This one’s called sodium bicarbonate. And while it looks pretty plain, it has a superpower. When it touches anything acidic (like lemon juice, vinegar, or even the natural acids in your saliva), it fizzes. That reaction is what makes your cakes rise, your drain unclog, and your science experiments impress every 7-year-old ever.

It’s also alkaline, which is just a fancy way of saying it helps balance out acids. That’s why people use it to calm heartburn, clean greasy messes, and yep, whiten teeth. But just because it can do the job, it doesn’t mean you should use it. Here’s what I mean…

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Baking Soda Benefits: How Does It Help Teeth?

You hear people say it all the time: “I just brush with baking soda and coconut oil!” And sure, natural remedies can sound appealing. But there’s a science-y side to this that actually explains why baking soda can help your teeth… if you’re using it the right way. Baking soda helps teeth (and your whole mouth, for that matter) in 3 ways:

1. Baking Soda Reduces Plaque

Plaque is that sticky, bacteria-filled film that clings to your teeth and gums If you don’t remove it, it hardens into tartar, which is much harder to deal with (and usually requires a dental hygienist and that scary metal pick).

Toothpaste does a great job at removing plaque and bacteria. It works even better when it contains baking soda. Here’s why:

In 2008, scientists compared commercial toothpastes with baking soda to commercial toothpastes without it and concluded that “brushing with dentifrices with higher concentrations of baking soda consistently removed numerically more plaque than those containing lower levels.“

2. Baking Soda Reduces Inflammation And Stains

Another study has found that toothpaste with baking soda can also reduce gengival inflammation and dental stains caused by tea, coffee, and even smoking, helping to keep your pearly whites… well, white.

It’s especially great if you’re a daily coffee drinker or a tea lover (guilty), because those tannins love to cling to your enamel and dull your smile over time. No wonder so many people are swapping their toothpastes for baking soda!

But remember, it’s not just about whitening. Reducing inflammation is huge. Swollen, bleeding gums aren’t just uncomfortable. They’re a sign of early gum disease. Baking soda toothpaste can help calm things down before it gets to that point.

3. Baking Soda Helps Prevent Cavities

But what about its baking soda’s alkaline ph? We know that destroys skin. Isn’t that the same for your teeth? Not really. A alkaline pH (baking soda has a ph of about 8) can cause havoc on skin and destroy the acid mantle that keeps it strong and healthy.

But it’s very good for teeth. An acid pH in the mouth can contribute to the formation of cavities. Baking soda counteracts this, keeping your mouth at an ideal pH. See, your mouth becomes more acidic after you eat – especially if you’re munching on sugar or carbs. That acid weakens enamel and feeds the bacteria that cause cavities. Baking soda helps neutralize all that, making your mouth less inviting to those cavity-causing critters.

Related: Why You Should NOT Use Baking Soda To Exfoliate Skin

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Baking Soda As Toothpaste: Are There Any Side Effects?

Before you get too excited and throw your usual toothpaste in the bin, hear this: baking soda works only when used IN toothpaste. NOT alone.

Baking soda is very abrasive. When used alone, all that scrubbing can easily damage the teeth’s enamel.It makes teeth more prone to cavities and more sensitive to hot or cold temperature.

And once enamel’s gone, it’s gone. Unlike skin, your enamel doesn’t regenerate. So if you’re brushing raw baking soda on your teeth every day, thinking you’re being all natural and healthy, you could actually be doing long-term damage.

It’s especially bad for people who wear braces, dental fittings or fixtures. It can weaken the glue that keeps them in place and cause them to fall out. Eek! Yup. Imagine your braces just popping off mid-sentence because your “natural” toothpaste routine went rogue. Not worth it.

But Can’t I Just Mix It With Coconut Oil Or Water To Make It Gentler?”

Nope. Still not safe. Mixing baking soda with water, coconut oil, or whatever Pinterest is recommending this week doesn’t magically make it less abrasive. It might feel smoother going on, but the damage is still happening. It’s like saying, “Well, I’m only lightly sanding my enamel down.” Yeah… still sanding. Still enamel. Still not growing back.

What If I Only Use It Once In A While?”

Even once can be too much – especially if your enamel is already worn down or your gums are sensitive. A single use won’t ruin your teeth, but it also won’t whiten them, rebuild enamel, or magically detox your mouth. If anything, it just irritates your gums and starts the slow process of making your teeth more sensitive. So really, it’s a risk for zero reward. You’re better off using an actual toothpaste that’s formulated to do the job – without the side effects.

Didn’t People Use It In The Old Days?”

Yeah, and they also used soot, crushed eggshells, and literal charcoal. Just because something was common back then doesn’t mean it holds up now. Back in the day, people didn’t have access to fluoride, enamel-safe ingredients, or dental care in general. They were doing the best they could with what they had. We know better now. And we have better options. You’re not brushing your teeth by candlelight anymore – no need to use 1800s toothpaste either.

The Bottom Line

Baking soda is an important ally in the fight against plaque, cavities, and dental stains – but not when used alone. So, say yes to baking soda in toothpaste and no to baking soda as toothpaste.