San Rafael Dentist: How Abrasive Is Your Toothpaste?

Whitening toothpaste has become incredibly popular in recent years. Many people automatically buy whitening toothpaste without giving it a second thought. Unfortunately, many whitening toothpastes can be quite abrasive. Just how abrasive is your toothpaste? In some cases, actually abrasive enough to do long-term damage to your teeth.

To whiten effectively, whitening toothpastes contain a small amount of a bleaching agent but a lot of silica. The purpose of the silica is to rub stains off the surface of teeth. Because of the short amount of time toothpaste actually stays on your teeth, this silica is actually doing most of the whitening work, not the bleaching agents. The more effectively toothpaste whitens, the more likely it is very abrasive.

Over time, this abrasiveness can wear off dangerous amounts of teeth enamel. In fact, over time, this makes your teeth vulnerable to plaque and bacteria. Many dentists caution against long-term use of whitening toothpastes for just this reason. You may already be feeling the effects of this abrasiveness if your teeth are feeling sensitive but you have no cavity. Come talk to us at Kantor Dental to find out how we can reduce the damage.

How Can I Find Out If My Toothpaste Is Too Abrasive?

So is your current toothpaste too abrasive? There’s a simple way to find out. When toothpastes come to market, they have to disclose how abrasive they are. This abrasiveness is measured by an RDA (Relative Dentin Abrasivity) Value, or the toothpaste’s ability to cut dentin (the layer of teeth below enamel).

In RDA terms, anything under 70 is considered to have low abrasivity and should be safe for long-term use. An RDA score between 70-150 means the toothpaste has a medium to high abrasivity and it’s use should be monitored by a dentist. Once your toothpaste’s RDA is over 150, the abrasivity is likely dangerous in the long-term and should only be used for short periods of time. According to the FDA, no toothpaste should exceed an RDA of 200. The American Dental Association places the top limit at 250.

You can find the RDA of many popular toothpastes in the chart below. Check to see where your toothpaste falls. If it is over 150, you may want to consider switching to a less abrasive toothpaste to avoid damaging your enamel.