Morning ladies,

I remember reading a comment to a post on here, (which I can't for the life of me find!) about how this lady uses baking soda as a tooth whitener. Has anyone else tried this and does it really work? If so I will be investing in some bicarb and save myself a fortune on whitening toothpastes and treatments! x

I've just popped round to Tes co and bought some! Will go into a health food shop too and get some from there! The original poster said that she mixed the bicarb with a small amount of water to form a paste and then used it to clean her teeth. I drink my tea black and am partial to a glass or 2 of red occasionally so my teeth are stained and I'd like shinier nashers for the big day

aww thanks kempy! I knew I'd seen it somewhere and wasn't going mad! How soon did you see any results? I think I'll use toothepaste in the mornings and bicarb at night x

Fab just saved me £160 as was going to get mine whitened at the dentist.

Thanks ladies, can't wait to give it a go later!

I hear a lot of people say the whitening kits can make your teeth sensitive. Hopefully bicarb doesn't do that!

Who'd have thought that something so simple could have so many uses! Can't wait to try it later, have 19 months to make sure my nashers are gleaming! x

Great thread :) I have just switched to smokers toothpaste which is working really well so far, think i might give this a go too though :) the whiter the beter i say :)

i've been using arm and hammer stuff and that seems to be working ok so far. Usually stock up on it when it's on offer :)

definately going to give this a go on a night time, i use sensodyne repair and protect on a morning already as i have sensitive nashers but i definately think that if this works it will be so much better than paying a fortune at the dentist!

What a good thread, I'm going to give this a go anything to help keep the budget down. Thank you

Ooo I have some bicarb in the cupboard, think I will start doing this at night too. Cheers ladies. xx

Both me and my OH tried it tonight and it tastes gross but they feel really clean, see what the colour is like in a few weeks

Ooooh sounds great, will have to give this a go! X

yea cos bicarb has salt in it, i had a slightly sore gum and it made it sting but it was alright after 10 mins or so

just wet your tooth brush and just literally dip it in the soda a little bit and tap off the excess you really don't need a lot

had my first go last night and took a pic so let see what its like in a week or so....

Definitely going to give this a try, been thinking about how to make my teeth whiter, without it costing the earth, so glad a few of you have said it works. To the shops I go! x

Ladies it is fine to use this as long as you mix it properly but its not advisable to do it more than once every 2 weeks as its abrasive and can damage your tooth enamel if used to often. Sorry to be a bubble burster but its the ex dental nurse coming out in me and I would'nt like to see anyone with permanent damage. In moderation is fine though x

Can I say that is really random ahaha not in a bad way def gona give it a try :)
But who came up with the idea in the 1st place lol

Yes it should be fine to do this but make sure you have mixed it in to a fine paste first then add a bit of your regular toothpaste, it will remove superficial stains like tea, coffee, wine and smoking stains but it wont make any difference to the pigment of your teeth if they are naturally yellow only having them bleached by a dentist will help this. It is probably better to mix it with your toothpaste because you still need to use a product containing fluoride and bicarb alone will have no plaque or tartar inhibitors and be careful not to abrade your gums. Sorry for sounding like a public health warning but I would hate for anyone to do any permanent damage xx

Yes your mum is right, if your unsure have a look on utube, just type in how to clean your teeth with bicarbonate of soda and there's demos on there, happy brushing xx

Got the below from a website

1 Wet your toothbrush with some water and dip it into baking soda. All of the bristles should be covered so that your toothbrush bristles are white.
2 Brush your teeth for 2 minutes (spitting if necessary).
3 Spit out the baking soda, and rinse your mouth clean with water(You don't want baking soda in your mouth for a long period of time).If there is a tingling or burning feeling in your mouth, this is bad. See Warnings for what might not be normal. Brushing your teeth twice a day can be monumental for the whitening of teeth even without these tips & tricks - especially with the regular use of dental floss and mouthwash. Using mouthwash after can help to remove the bad taste of the baking soda if it is unbearable.

Tips
After brushing your teeth, brush your tongue with your favorite spice and/or use a fruit. Bad breath is related to teeth only when they house food debris and plaque. The main cause of bad breath is bacteria growing on the gums.

An alternative method involves putting baking soda on the toothbrush and wetting it with a little bit of hydrogen peroxide (the cheap stuff one pours on cuts). It really does work!

Also try mixing the baking soda with a little bit of water and toothpaste in a container and brush your teeth that way. Don't use this method too much, as it can damage your teeth.

You can also mix lime juice with baking soda. Keep stirring until a paste is created. You may be required to add more baking soda depending on how much lime juice you use.

Warnings
Do not use this method too often as the abrasive can permanently damage the enamel of your teeth. There are some special toothpaste brands (often for smokers) which contain much gentler abrasives than baking soda. They can be used daily without any risk for the health of your teeth and help to remove not only tobacco stains but also stains from coffee, tea, and wine.

Baking soda can dissolve orthodontic glue. Do not use this method if you have braces or a permanent retainer.

Best used only once or twice a week.

Don't brush too hard for a long term as it may damage your enamel (which is called as abrasion),leading to hypersensitivity.

Don`t put too much baking soda or it can damage teeth.

I have extremely sensitive teeth as it is so don't think I will be giving this ago! Will have to speak to dentist about non abrasive ways of whitening them instead! xxxx