“but does anyone else feel like it leaves your mouth gritty? I’m all for saving money, but is it worth the weird aftertaste and possible enamel drama?”
That gritty feeling with baking soda totally takes me back—I tried it in college when I was broke. My teeth felt “squeaky,” but then my gums got kind of sensitive after a week or so. Ever notice if your gums react to these DIY methods, or is it just me being paranoid?
I totally get what you mean about the gritty feeling. When I tried baking soda, it almost felt like my teeth were “cleaner” but also kind of raw? My gums definitely got a bit irritated—maybe because it’s so abrasive. I’ve heard activated charcoal can be even rougher though, especially if you have braces or retainers. Has anyone noticed if charcoal is any gentler, or does it just do the same thing? I’m always nervous about messing up my enamel...
Charcoal was a total mess for me with braces. It got stuck everywhere—like, in every bracket and wire. Took forever to rinse out. Honestly, it felt even scratchier than baking soda, and my orthodontist was not thrilled when I mentioned it. She said both can wear down enamel if you go overboard, but charcoal’s bigger particles make it rougher on metal and glue. I get wanting whiter teeth (especially with all that metal in your mouth), but I just stick to regular toothpaste now and maybe a whitening mouthwash. My gums were already sensitive from the braces, so the gritty stuff was just too much. If you’re worried about enamel, I’d skip the DIY stuff and just ask your ortho or dentist what’s safe. Not worth risking more trips to the chair, trust me.
Ugh, I totally get where you’re coming from. The first time I tried charcoal, I spent like 20 minutes picking little black bits out of my brackets… not worth it. My ortho also gave me the “please don’t do that” talk—guess the stuff is just too abrasive, especially when your gums are already crying from the wires. Whitening toothpaste and mouthwash have been way less hassle for me too. You’re definitely not alone in wanting brighter teeth with braces, but honestly? Sticking to the basics has saved me a ton of stress.
Charcoal freaks me out a bit, honestly. I was tempted to try baking soda but worried it’d scratch up my brackets or make my teeth more sensitive. Whitening toothpaste is about as wild as I get these days... my anxiety can’t handle another ortho lecture.
