Brushing your teeth with some sea salt and/or baking soda is a safe and natural way to ensure strong teeth and gums, break down plaque buildup, and protect against bad breath.
You can either use them alone or together, sea salt and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) are inexpensive, time-tested treatments for tooth care.
Sea Salt
A few of many trace elements and minerals found in sea salt are calcium, magnesium, silicon, phosphorus, sodium, nickel, and iron. These nutrients strengthen your gums, protect teeth against tarter and rid your bad breath. It may even whiten your teeth over time. Sea salt is high in iodine which has antibacterial properties and helps neutralize acids in the mouth. Salt makes you salivate, and your saliva creates an antibacterial barrier that protects your enamel.
You can either dip your wet toothbrush into a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and brush your teeth as you regularly would or you can rinse with a saltwater solution. Mix a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt with 4 ounces of warm water. Let the salt dissolve, and then swish the solution around in your mouth for 30 seconds. Be sure to spit it out and not swallow when you’re done! A saltwater rinse helps with swollen, inflamed gums and rinses away bacteria in the mouth.
Baking Soda
Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) is highly alkaline, and as such counteracts acids in the mouth that cause tooth decay and, kills bacteria and germs while combating bad breath. Baking soda is also been the natural way to whiten teeth. It’s gritty enough to clean your teeth of tarter and plaque without being so abrasive that it wears away your tooth enamel.
You can mix baking soda with water into a paste-like consistency to clean teeth, or you can combine baking soda and salt to make your own homemade toothpaste. If you are not that comfortable ditching your traditional toothpaste entirely, try to brush with sea salt and baking soda once or twice a week as supplemental dental care.
Side Effects?
According to Dr. Paul H. Keyes D.D.S., clinical investigator at the National Institute of Dental Research, “Over the years when I was lecturing, I asked thousands of dentists and hygienists to raise their hands if they had ever seen destructive periodontal disease in person[s] who had regularly brushed with salt and/or [baking] soda. I have never seen a hand! And although I have not seen any such cases, the periodontal health in these patients has always been excellent.”
