Does baking soda remove black stains on teeth

Baking soda may loosen some surface deposits, but a black mark can be tartar, decay, a filling problem, or internal tooth discoloration.

Black discoloration can be external stain from food, tobacco, or plaque, but it can also be tartar, dental caries, a defective filling, or a change within the tooth. Baking soda is a mild abrasive, so rubbing it aggressively can wear enamel or expose sensitive dentine.

Use a soft toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, clean between the teeth, and avoid scraping the mark with a sharp tool. Arrange an examination so the dentist can distinguish stain from calculus, a cavity, or a restoration before any polishing or whitening.

Seek dental care promptly if the mark is accompanied by pain, sensitivity, a hole, bad taste, bleeding, swelling, or a broken tooth. A rapidly changing lesion or facial swelling needs urgent assessment.

Ask what the mark is, whether it is on the enamel or inside the tooth, whether professional cleaning is appropriate, and whether the tooth needs a filling or another restoration.