Baking soda and toothpaste for white teeth

Baking soda can remove some surface stain, but toothpaste should remain the main cleanser for whitening teeth safely.

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a mild alkaline powder that can help loosen deposits on the outer enamel surface. It does not change the colour of naturally darker inner dentine, and it cannot bleach a crown, filling, veneer, or other restoration.

Use a fluoride toothpaste and a soft brush with gentle pressure twice daily. For a brighter result, a dentist can distinguish surface stain from internal tooth colour and discuss professional whitening or treatment of a specific restoration.

Arrange an examination if whitening exposes sensitivity, gum soreness, enamel roughness, or a dark mark that does not brush away. A single discoloured tooth, pain, or a change around a filling needs diagnosis rather than more abrasive powder.

Ask whether the colour is surface stain, enamel change, dentine colour, decay, or a restoration. Also ask which whitening method suits your enamel and whether any existing fillings or crowns will need a separate colour plan.