# 4 of 5 dentist agree

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-of-5-dentist-agree/11616>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 2, 1999, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-of-5-dentist-agree/11616 "1999-12-02T03:16:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 1999, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-of-5-dentist-agree/11616/1 "1999-12-02T03:16:00Z")

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I’m posting this in general questions because it’s only partially related to cecils reply to this  
[http://www.straighdope.com/classics/a1\_174a.html](http://www.straighdope.com/classics/a1_174a.html)

My actual question is…

How do gums, ones that contain baking soda, reduce plaque and whiten teeth?

Is it just because the creating saliva thing, or is there something in baking soda that cleans your teeth?

My girlfriend is doing a report for school and can’t find any proof that dentists actually recommend it, especially since it can mask some periodontal diseases when accompanied with peroxide.

Any dentists out there have the straight dope?

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**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 1999, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-of-5-dentist-agree/11616/2 "1999-12-02T03:18:00Z")

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sorry, i meant to post this in general questions. moderator, a little help please. thanks.

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**Author:** ![PurpleCrackwhore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc348/32.png) [@PurpleCrackwhore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleCrackwhore)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 1999, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-of-5-dentist-agree/11616/3 "1999-12-02T03:45:00Z")

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Because it is the chewing motion in gum that removes the plaque… it doesn’t matter what is in it… even sugared gum will do it.

* * *

“Only when he no longer knows what he is doing, does the painter do good  
things.” --Edgar Degas

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 1999, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-of-5-dentist-agree/11616/4 "1999-12-02T04:39:00Z")

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Here’s something I found today your friend might want to include in her report:

## [http://www.msnbc.com/news/create\_p1.asp?SET=www.msnbc.com/news/340977.asp](http://www.msnbc.com/news/create_p1.asp?SET=www.msnbc.com/news/340977.asp)

Sue from El Paso

Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.