BAKING SODA TOOTHPASTE - IS IT RECOMMENDED?

There once was a time when the only selling point for a toothpaste was that it contained fluoride. Today when you got to the drugstore, you're confronted with tartar control, tooth whiteners and the choice of gel of paste, tube or pump, flip-cap or no flip-cap. Add to the variety the option of baking soda and you are right to feel a bit confused by the new ingredients and styles.
According to Chris Martin, a spokesman for the American Dental Association, "The ADA hasn't seen any studies that show there are any therapeutic benefits" to brushing with a baking soda toothpaste. "But," he quickly adds, "there are products with baking soda in them that have the ADA Seal of Acceptance." Martin explains that while no proof exists that baking soda fights gum disease or tooth decay, it's safe ingredient for your mouth. In fact, if a toothpaste does carry the ADA Seal of Acceptance, you'll notice it makes no claims as to the oral-hygiene benefits of baking soda.
So why do people use baking soda toothpaste? Martin theorizes that "many people might like the way it their mouth. They feel as if their mouth is cleaner after brushing." Also, there's also history of using baking soda as a hygiene product, not just for oral health. But if you've chosen baking soda because you think it is going to whiten, brighten or freshen your mouth, you're mistaken. Nothing yet has taken a bite out of fluoride's dominance as the number-one toothpaste ingredient.