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Monday, April 12, 2010

My Cheap Discovery

For most of you this might not be any new revelation, but I found something I'm happy about. :)

I introduced myself to the world of brushing my teeth with baking soda!! I keep on seeing these dumb little ads about the stay at home mom who "discovered" a tooth whitening secret. I decided, why can't I figure something out for me? Well, I don't know what she uses, but I found that the baking soda really works and isn't as bad as I might have thought. After reading more about it, I learned that baking soda breaks up the plaque on your teeth and between your teeth and whitens too. However, I also learned that if you use it too much, it will weaken your enamel (your teeth need fluoride). So, if I use it in spurts then I can feel a little better about my teeth without having to pay super high whitening prices. :)

I have been using the baking soda on my teeth just in the mornings and then I follow up with my normal toothpaste because of the fluoride and to freshen my breath. It was kind of harsh on my gums at first, but I learned to be careful around my gums. Overall, I can really feel a difference for the better! I recommend it for sure.

I haven't tried the next step, which is to make my own paste out of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. I guess the hydrogen peroxide REALLY whitens, or kind of bleaches your teeth. It just sounds gross to me right now, so if I decide to use that in the future you might notice that my teeth just radiate from a block away. In the meantime, I'm happy with the baking soda.

2 comments:

Lori-ann said...

I read on a yahoo article about using baking soda about once or twice a month to help whiten your teeth. My seven year old was really struggling with getting his teeth clean and had a ton of build up, so I tried it on him. There was a HUGE difference in his teeth immediately. His gums sure did bleed that first time because he never brushed near them. I tried it that same day and then later that week had everyone brush with baking soda right before going to the dentist. My kids HATE it but now they brush their teeth better because I threaten to bring out the baking soda again!

It really does work and it's super cheap. Now the question is, am I brave enough to try the paste of baking soda and peroxide? Hmm...

Shnopa said...

Maybe I'll try it out on Paige's "big girl teeth". She said they don't look as white as her baby teeth. I remember the dentist saying they call baby teeth 'milkies' because they're so white. Doug got a free whitening kit from our dentist recently and I got one a long time ago. I can't stand the way it makes my teeth SOOOO sensitive. Maybe baking soda would be better. I'll be careful of my gums though - thanks for the tip.

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