Baking Soda for Brushing Teeth

[brookline]

Hi everyone,
I have used baking soda for toothbrushing but have found it too abrasive. I had been using the Arm & Hammer type stuff sold in grocery stores. I recently found a commercial baking soda toothpowder that is not abrasive at all. (Unfortunately it is also very expensive.)

The toothpowder is very fluffy in comparison to grocery store baking soda. To analogize, the grocery store-type baking soda is like granulated sugar. However, the commercial toothpowder is like confectioner's sugar. I would like to make my own fluffy, non-abrasive baking soda. Does anyone have any ideas how to do this? Would using a mortar and pestle be a good approach?

[vexed87]

Commercial preparations can be bought very cheaply when on offer in supermarkets, when I see my favourite brand with baking soda on sale for £1, I stock up on at least 12 packs. Considering a tube will last me a couple of months, that's only £6/year. That's the second most expensive part of my grooming bill, second only to the 'luxury' shaving soap I buy (£12/year).

[brookline]

Commercial preparations can be bought very cheaply when on offer in supermarkets, when I see my favourite brand with baking soda on sale for £1, I stock up on at least 12 packs. Considering a tube will last me a couple of months, that's only £6/year. That's the second most expensive part of my grooming bill, second only to the 'luxury' shaving soap I buy (£12/year).

Hi,
Thanks for responding. I wish to emphasize that I want to make my own baking soda fluff. To explain, I have a host of food allergies and am very wary of buying commercial products. Inaccurate/artful labeling in regard to additives can cause me a lot of grief.

[enigmaT120]

Abrasive to what? I don't think it can hurt your tooth enamel. I only brush with it once or twice a week. Usually I just wet my brush with water, what my hygienist calls dry brushing for some reason.

I bet you could get a mortar and pestle and reduce the size of the soda granules, making it more of a powder.

[brookline]

Abrasive to what? I don't think it can hurt your tooth enamel. I only brush with it once or twice a week. Usually I just wet my brush with water, what my hygienist calls dry brushing for some reason.

I bet you could get a mortar and pestle and reduce the size of the soda granules, making it more of a powder.

Hi Enigma,
If you search around on the web, you will see that that many people complain that baking soda either feels rough in general or irritates their gums over time. YMMV. Is a mortar and pestle the cheapest/easiest way to reduce the size of the granules?

[Gilberto de Piento]

The last time I was at the dentist they asked me to stop using a "medium" toothbrush and use a "soft" toothbrush instead. Apparently medium wears the teeth over time. It makes sense that very abrasive paste could do the same.

Why use baking soda paste? Is this for cost or something else?

[enigmaT120]

Hi Enigma,
If you search around on the web, you will see that that many people complain that baking soda either feels rough in general or irritates their gums over time. YMMV. Is a mortar and pestle the cheapest/easiest way to reduce the size of the granules?

I don't have a m and p now, but when I did I got it at a garage sale or Goodwill, so yeah cheap. It would be easy but time consuming, I imagine. Remember, I've never done it. It's just something that came to mind. You might try one of those little coffee grinders with blades (also Goodwill), I don't know if that would work.

I do use soft tooth brushes, but I guess I've either never used soda long enough to have gum problems or didn't brush too hard or ?

[brookline]

The last time I was at the dentist they asked me to stop using a "medium" toothbrush and use a "soft" toothbrush instead. Apparently medium wears the teeth over time. It makes sense that very abrasive paste could do the same.

Why use baking soda paste? Is this for cost or something else?

Hi Gilberto,
I like baking soda because it is quick, cheap, portable, and relatively free of nasty chemicals. (Apparently aluminum is part of the processing.) Even so called natural toothpastes have dubious ingredients.

[brookline]

Hi Enigma,
If you search around on the web, you will see that that many people complain that baking soda either feels rough in general or irritates their gums over time. YMMV. Is a mortar and pestle the cheapest/easiest way to reduce the size of the granules?

I don't have a m and p now, but when I did I got it at a garage sale or Goodwill, so yeah cheap. It would be easy but time consuming, I imagine. Remember, I've never done it. It's just something that came to mind. You might try one of those little coffee grinders with blades (also Goodwill), I don't know if that would work.

I do use soft tooth brushes, but I guess I've either never used soda long enough to have gum problems or didn't brush too hard or ?

Thanks for the tip about the coffee grinder.