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Writer's pictureDavid Chen, DDS

How Fast Does Baking Soda Whiten teeth?

Using baking soda to whiten teeth may take weeks to months before you see results because it's a very gentle/mild whitening abrasive. That is if you compare it to other types of whitening agents.


arm & hammer baking soda

Ultimately, baking soda is the fastest teeth whitener and if you want quicker results you should consider alternatives.


 

Baking soda whitens teeth slowly

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is not the fastest teeth whitener because it's a very mild whitening abrasive and it doesn't contain any peroxide. The combination of these two facts make it work very slowly and it'll take a long time for you to see results, often weeks to months.


Mild whitening abrasive

The way that baking soda whitens your teeth is by using its abrasive properties, which mechanically scrub away extrinsic stains on the surfaces of your teeth. This action is similar to how you "whiten" your dinner plate by scrubbing away stuck food. It's not quite what we think of when we think of whitening our teeth.


Unfortunately, studies have shown that the abrasiveness of baking soda happens to be very mild. As a matter of fact, it is one of the gentlest and safest type of whitening abrasive on the market.


The chart below shows the RDA value of various toothpastes. The higher the RDA value, the more abrasive and faster it'll be at whitening. The inverse is also true in that the lower the RDA value, the less abrasive and slower it'll be.


toothpaste RDA chart

As you can see in the chart above, plain baking soda has a RDA value of 7. The only thing that is less abrasive than sodium bicarbonate is a toothbrush with plain water.


In summary, don't expect it to whiten your teeth quickly!


Peroxide-free

The second reason why baking teeth doesn't whiten teeth quickly is because it lacks peroxide. That means there is no hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide, which are commonly found in professional teeth whitening products.


It is the peroxide which chemically bleaches out the extrinsic and intrinsic stains in your teeth. Essentially it is what we think of when we hear whitening.


As a matter of fact, the potency for various whitening products can be graded based on the peroxide percentage.

  • The higher the peroxide concentration, the faster and stronger it'll whiten.

  • The lower the peroxide concentration, the slower and weaker it'll whiten.


3 different peroxide concentration whitening toothpastes
3 different peroxide concentration whitening toothpastes

The toothpastes shown above from Colgate come in 3 different concentrations of peroxide, 2% 3% 5%. Of course the 5% one is the strongest while the 2% one is the weakest.


Now you can compare that to an in-office whitening product which can go all the way up to 40% peroxide. Yes, it is essentially multiples stronger than OTC whitening toothpaste!


opalesence boost 40% peroxide whitening

In summary, if you compare baking soda (plain or toothpaste version) all of it is peroxide-free which means it will always be less effective than a peroxide based product.


 

Baking soda alternatives for faster teeth whitening

If you're not getting the results you want with baking soda teeth whitening, you can try some alternative products that may produce faster results!


More potent teeth whitening alternatives:

  • More abrasive toothpaste. Sodium bicarbonate is one of the gentlest abrasives that you can use and if you want a stronger one you can try charcoal, silica, or even hydroxyapatite. All of these will scrub away stains more effectively.

  • Peroxide based toothpaste. Some whitening toothpastes contain peroxide in addition to abrasives. Some commonly found ones would be from Colgate Optic white such as their advanced, renewal, or pro series toothpastes.

  • OTC peroxide based products. You can use other types of OTC whitening products with peroxide such as strips, mouth rinses, pens, and OTC trays. These don't rely on abrasives and bleach your teeth chemically instead.

  • PAP based products. A new type of whitening product advertised as "peroxide-free" would be PAP. These can be found in toothpastes, pens, and even strips. The downside is that it does tend to cost a bit more.

  • Professional whitening. Last but not least, the most costly but also most effective bleaching option would be to have it done at your dentist! This may include ZOOM along with various other brands.


PAP toothpaste pen and strips by Hismile
PAP toothpaste pen and strips

Of course, the absolute fastest way to whiten your teeth would be professionally since dentists have access to the highest concentration of peroxide products.


If you're nearby in Long Island City, NY our dental practice offers a variety of professional teeth whitening services.

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About the author: Dr David Chen, DDS

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Hello, I'm Dr Chen and I'm an actively practicing dentist in Long Island City, NY. I graduated from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine in 2016 but prior to going to dental school I was already working in the dental field. It's been more than a decade since I first got to know dentistry and let me tell you, time flies by quickly. Since then I've developed a fondness for writing, which is how this all got started!

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Medical Disclaimer:

This blog is purely meant for information purposes and should not be used as medical advice. Each situation in your mouth is unique and complex. It is not possible to give advice nor diagnose any oral conditions based on text nor virtual consultations. The best thing to do is to go in person to see your dentist for an examination and consultation so that you can receive the best care possible.

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The purpose of all of this oral health information is to encourage you to see your dentist and to inform you of what you may expect during your visit. Due to the unfortunate nature of dentistry, there isn't really any true home remedies that will get rid of dental problems. Roughly 99.99% of them require in-person intervention by a healthcare professional.

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Hint: That is the reason why you can't eliminate seeing dentists in your life!

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