Whenever you stroll down the dental care aisle at the drug store or the supermarket, aren't you amazed at the variety of toothpastes available?! All of them promise the world - whitening, sensitivity protection, anti-gingivitis, cavity protection, etc. What you may not know is that many of the toothpaste products on the market actually are more abrasive than they need to be.
The particles in toothpaste that are the primary abrasive are generally harder than enamel, and microscopically the particles are jagged in shape. If you buy a toothpaste with too high of a concentration of those particles, or if you use too much toothpaste (more than a pea-size portion), you run the risk of doing damage to your teeth and dental restorations over time. Especially susceptible to the damage from over-abrasive toothpastes are root surfaces exposed from gum recession. Those root surfaces can then become more sensitive to extremes in temperature. Tooth-colored dental restorations can also become damaged and lose their tooth-like luster when the wrong toothpaste is used. Some dental restorations made of porcelain can even stain more easily when too abrasive of toothpaste is used for more than a few days.
What should you use? As a rule, you should be wary of long-term use of any toothpaste product that promises "whitening", as these toothpastes are generally more abrasive. And, remember that "less is more." Don't use too much toothpaste when you brush. A little, pea-sized amount is all you need.
In case you're wondering, our personal favorite toothpaste is CloSYS. It has low abrasiveness, and it is excellent in fighting gum disease. If you have a moderate to high risk of developing cavities, we recommend using Clinpro 5000 toothpaste at least once per day, which is available in-office or by prescription.
We recommend steering clear of any toothpaste product with abrasiveness rating (RDA) over 100. Here is a list showing the abrasiveness of different toothpastes:
Straight Baking Soda | 7 |
Arm & Hammer Tooth Powder | 8 |
Arm & Hammer Dental Care | 35 |
Oxyfresh | 45 |
Tom’s of Maine Sensitive | 49 |
Arm & Hammer Peroxicare | 49 |
Rembrandt Original | 53 |
CloSYS | 53 |
Tom’s of Maine Children’s | 57 |
Colgate Regular | 68 |
Colgate Total | 70 |
Sensodyne | 79 |
Aim | 80 |
Colgate Sensitive Max. Strength | 83 |
Aquafresh Sensitive | 91 |
Tom’s of Maine Regular | 93 |
Crest Cavity Protection | 95 |
Mentadent | 103 |
Sensodyne Extra Whitening | 104 |
Colgate Platinum | 106 |
Crest Sensitivity | 107 |
Colgate Herbal | 110 |
Aquafresh Whitening | 113 |
Arm & Hammer Tartar Control | 117 |
Arm & Hammer Advance White Gel | 117 |
Close-Up (with Baking Soda) | 120 |
Colgate Whitening | 124 |
Crest Extra Whitening | 130 |
Ultra-Brite | 133 |
Crest MultiCare Whitening | 144 |
Colgate Baking Soda Whitening | 145 |
Pepsodent | 150 |
Colgate Tartar Control | 165 |
Colgate 2-in-1 Tartar Control/White | 200 |
