Baking soda – also known as sodium bicarbonate, represented by the chemical compound NaHCO3 – is a popular household product with many amazing properties. You can use it to scrub stains out of the carpet, to help prevent offensive odors in your refrigerator, to treat acid indigestion and sunburn… And even to whiten teeth.
Well, technically speaking, baking soda doesn’t “whiten” your teeth. What it does is break down the stains on your teeth and scrub them away. This can make your teeth appear somewhat lighter, although the process is generally more effective on brown or yellow stains and less effective on gray areas.
Toothpaste with Baking Soda
There are toothpastes on the market that contain baking soda, and they are probably easier (and arguably more effective) to use than brushing your teeth with straight baking soda. On the other hand, baking soda by itself can be less expensive than toothpaste.
Baking Soda & Salt
If you decide to use baking soda by itself, dissolve a spoonful in a full glass of water and then mix in a bit of salt until it takes on a paste-like consistency. Brush your teeth with it and then spit it out and rinse well. You can probably expect to feel some tingling while you are brushing. Don’t do this more than once every two weeks, or you could harm your teeth.
People have been using baking soda to lighten their teeth for centuries, and using baking soda shouldn’t be dangerous. But just to be safe, you should always talk to your dentist before you begin any dental treatment plan. If you already have sensitive teeth or gums, the corrosive nature of baking soda could cause you some pain or other problems.
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There are many natural and inexpensive methods that will help whiten your teeth. Though these are not a substitute to a whitening program at your dentist’s, it’s fast and can be easily done at home.
Soda Bicarbonate Whiten Teeth Naturally
Using a combination of soda bicarbonate and strawberries is a very easy as well as effective method. This removes the teeth stains of coffee, colored aerated drinks and also that of red wine.
For this first you have to prepare a mix. Take one fresh strawberry and blend it well with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to make a smooth paste. Make sure it’s well blended because if seeds are present it will cause abrasions on the enamel. Using a tooth brush apply this onto the teeth and brush after 5 minutes. Brush with normal toothpaste to remove the mix completely. Rinse well. You can use this once a week. More frequent use may damage the enamel of your teeth.
Another method is using baking soda and salt mix. Besides whitening your teeth it will also kill plaque causing bacteria and also reduces acids which harm the tooth enamel. Brush gently with this mix and rinse well. Don’t use this too frequently though.
In some places wood ash is used as a bleaching agent to whiten teeth. The drawback is that the potassium in it may damage the enamel and also it tastes awful. Gargling with hydrogen peroxide also can whiten the teeth. It cleans and disinfects. First brush your teeth normally, then gargle peroxide for a while and rinse thoroughly. You can also take a 3% solution, dip your tooth brush in it and apply on the teeth. A combination of soda bicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide also works. However using hydrogen peroxide may not be considered as a natural way to whiten teeth.
Whiten Teeth Naturally with Vegetables and Fruits
Chewing crunchy vegetables and fruits is also said to be effective. Vegetables 
like cucumbers, celery, carrots, broccoli and fruits like apples can be used for this purpose. The one advantage is that this method can be tried on a daily basis.
Though lemon and white vinegar are used for teeth whitening, these are best avoided as the acid content, citric acid and acetic acid respectively, is harmful to the tooth enamel.
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