Baking soda, the scientific name of sodium bicarbonate, is weakly alkaline after being dissolved in water, and its pH value is about 8. In our daily life, it is often used as a leavening agent in the process of food production, and some people will use it to scrub the dirt in stainless steel pot, copper or iron pots and thermos bottles.
Making teeth whiter is a topic of concern to many beauty lovers. So, if you brush your teeth with baking soda, will your teeth really turn white? Will it be harmful to teeth? The reporter consulted the doctor of stomatology in the hospital and the professor of chemistry department of Zhejiang University, and experienced it for himself.
Whitening teeth by rubbing
"This method is reliable, you can try it." Professor Guo Weiqiang from the Department of Chemistry of Zhejiang University said, "This is just like our previous people. When there is no toothpaste, it is a truth to brush your teeth with salt, mainly by physical friction to whiten your teeth. However, because the particles of salt are coarse, it tastes bad when brushing your teeth, so it is not used anymore. Now there will be baking soda in some whitening tooth powder. "
Professor Guo also said that brushing your teeth with baking soda will not affect your gums and mouth. Because baking soda dissolves quickly when it meets water, and after people eat it, the oral environment is mostly acidic. When baking soda meets acid, it will form carbonic acid (carbon dioxide+water) and sodium ions, which is harmless to the mouth.
However, Professor Guo also reminded that people with oral ulcers and gingivitis had better not use it, otherwise it would easily aggravate the condition.
Baking soda will destroy the living environment of dental plaque.
Dr. Ding Hanfeng, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, said that he had seen this statement in Life Tips before. He has never tried it, but it is reliable in theory.
"The pH value of the living environment of dental plaque is around 6, which is weakly acidic. When sodium bicarbonate is dissolved in water, it is weakly alkaline. Brushing your teeth with it can destroy the living environment of dental plaque, control the growth of dental plaque and achieve whitening effect. " Dr. Ding said.
This is different from the principle of baking soda to remove dirt. Dr. Ding said: "Baking soda can quickly remove oil stains and dirt because it can increase the tension on the surface of water and make it easier to foam. It is an oil-in-water process without chemical reaction. "
Dr. Ding also said that the oral environment of healthy people is alkaline, and the pH value is around 7.6, so brushing teeth with baking soda is harmless to the human body.
Improper use will damage enamel and destroy dentin.
However, some experts advise careful use.
Zhang Kai, deputy director of the comprehensive outpatient department of Stomatological Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine, said: "Recently, many remedies for whitening teeth have been circulated on the Internet. Besides, I also heard that there are eight kinds of teeth: fishbone, vinegar in mouth and lemon juice. Regrettably, not only have I never seen these remedies in textbooks, but I have never even heard of them. "
Huang Wei, chief physician of the Department of Stomatology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, said: "I have never heard that brushing teeth with baking soda can whiten teeth. Folk folk remedies are empirical, which may have an effect, but what is the effect? There is no relevant research in clinic, and I don't recommend it. "
Director Huang said that although baking soda with the concentration of 1%-2% is also used in clinic, it is mainly used to treat thrush and prevent gum infection, but not to whiten teeth. Brushing teeth with baking soda for a long time will damage enamel and destroy dentin.
Professor Hou, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, said, "Dental calculus is a kind of mineralized thing, and there is no statement of pH, while the stains deposited on teeth are neutral things. If you want to whiten, it is more effective to use acidic things.
As for the friction effect of baking soda, Professor Hou said that the silica gel powder in toothpaste has a better effect. "Silica gel powder is a foaming agent, which is mainly used to rub teeth and help bring out the organic matter on the teeth."
The reporter personally tried for 7 days, but it still didn't work.