Soda blasting

Soda blasting or pearl wash helps to keep the mouth clean, as there are places that you cannot reach with a toothbrush or floss even if your oral hygiene is perfect. With the special air-flow soda powder, water, and compressed air, the dental hygienist removes tartar, pigmentation, lighter plaque, and food particles between teeth.

Benefits of soda blasting:

• Effectively removes plaque which helps to prevent tooth decay, gingivitis, or periodontitis.
• The removal of pigmentation during soda blasting restores the natural colour of teeth.
• Particularly recommended for people who enjoy coffee, tea, wine, or tobacco.
• Soda blasting is a good option for patients who wear braces, as it is challenging to maintain good oral hygiene with braces.

Soda blasting does not damage the surface of teeth or gums, however, a protective layer of saliva is removed during soda blasting, which takes 2–3 hours to recover. It is not recommended to eat, drink, or smoke during this time to ensure that the results achieved with the procedure are maintained. It is also recommended to avoid spicy, acidic, and heavily pigmented foods in the next 24 hours (for example, blueberries, blackcurrants, spinach, beetroot, coffee, tea, and red wine).

Does soda blasting replace daily oral hygiene and teeth whitening?

Soda blasting, which is done 1–2 times a year, does not replace daily oral hygiene but helps to thoroughly clean the tooth surfaces. Soda blasting also does not prevent plaque which must be removed in a separate procedure. 

Soda blasting restores the natural colour of teeth but does not replace teeth whitening. 

Excluding factors and possible inconveniences of soda blasting

Soda blasting may cause sensitivity and bleeding of gums at first, but this will quickly pass. In some patients, soda blasting may cause canker sores to appear. 

Soda blasting is contraindicated for patients with severe gingivitis. In this case, the gums need to be treated before soda blasting. The procedure should also be postponed if you have a cold sore in the mouth area.