I've noticed the sensitivity thing too—thought it was just me! Switched to using baking soda toothpaste maybe twice a week instead of daily, and that helped a lot. Coffee stains still fading nicely, so seems like a decent compromise...
"Switched to using baking soda toothpaste maybe twice a week instead of daily, and that helped a lot."
Glad I'm not alone on this one—I found baking soda toothpaste a bit harsh too when I used it daily. Twice a week sounds like a smart balance. Another trick I've found helpful is alternating with a fluoride toothpaste specifically for sensitivity. Keeps things comfy without losing the whitening benefits. Plus, my dentist mentioned that mixing it up occasionally is actually good for enamel health... who knew?
"Another trick I've found helpful is alternating with a fluoride toothpaste specifically for sensitivity."
Interesting you mention sensitivity toothpaste—I tried that route too, and it definitely helped ease the harshness of baking soda. But honestly, I couldn't stick with the baking soda stuff at all. Felt like brushing with salty sandpaper... not exactly my idea of a good time, haha.
One thing I stumbled upon by accident was using coconut oil toothpaste every now and then. Sounds weird, I know, but hear me out. I grabbed it randomly at the store because the packaging looked cool (yeah, I'm that person), and surprisingly, it made my teeth feel smoother and less sensitive overall. Plus, it didn't have that gritty texture baking soda toothpaste has. Not sure if it's doing much whitening-wise yet—jury's still out—but comfort-wise? Big thumbs up from me.
Also, anyone ever try charcoal toothpaste? I gave it a shot once because everyone was raving about it online. Let's just say my sink looked like a crime scene afterward... and my toothbrush never fully recovered. Maybe I did something wrong? Either way, wasn't worth the cleanup for me.
Anyway, mixing things up occasionally does seem to help overall. My orthodontist mentioned something similar about rotating toothpastes to keep your enamel strong and avoid overdoing any one ingredient. Guess there's some truth to that after all.
I totally get the charcoal toothpaste struggle... tried it once and spent ages scrubbing black splatters off my mirror. Never again. Coconut oil toothpaste sounds intriguing though—might give it a cautious try. Has anyone experimented with aloe vera toothpaste? Saw it at the health store recently, but I'm hesitant because, well... aloe on teeth just seems odd. Curious if it's gentle enough for sensitive teeth or just another gimmick.
"Has anyone experimented with aloe vera toothpaste? Saw it at the health store recently, but I'm hesitant because, well... aloe on teeth just seems odd."
Funny you mention aloe vera toothpaste—I picked some up a couple months ago when my kiddo went through a phase of hating anything minty. Honestly, it wasn't bad at all. Super gentle, and he actually liked the mild taste. Didn't notice any major whitening or anything fancy, but no sensitivity either. Might seem weird at first, but definitely not gimmicky in my experience... worth a shot if you're curious.
