Welcome back!
Today at Hartwell Dentistry we will be discussing the different toothpastes on the market and what damage they could be doing to your teeth without you realizing.
Did you ever wonder or question the type of toothpaste you use?
Have you ever wondered whether the toothpaste you’re using could be causing more harm than good?
There have been many recent studies on the abrasiveness of toothpastes in the market. Abrasives within toothpaste help in removing plaque and other debris. Toothpastes are not the same and some cause damage due to their abrasiveness. Depending on the RDA (Relative Dentin Abrasivity) cervical toothbrush abrasion can occur, which appears like a wedge-shaped notch on the exposed root surface of our teeth.
Studies advise to use a soft toothbrush and low-abrasive fluoride-containing toothpastes. High abrasive toothpastes may remove the pellicle (which is a protective layer around our teeth).
It is important to realise that the majority of products that claim to whiten your teeth or remove stain and tartar ARE VERY ABRASIVE.
Patients should steer clear of highly abrasive toothpastes as they can wear enamel over time. When enamel is worn away, the dentin beneath is more visible and teeth become more yellow in appearance.
Also it is important to note that porcelain veneers and crowns can lose their luster with abrasive pastes.
Most toothpaste contains detergents, which is why toothpastes foam in our mouths. The commonly used detergent in toothpaste is SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate). People can have allergic reactions to these detergents.
At Hartwell Dentistry we advise low abrasive toothpastes with or without detergents as the safest. If you suffer allergies then Enzycal is the toothpaste of choice. If abrasion is your concern then Carifree CTx4 gel is by far the best. Unfortunately these can only be sourced from Hartwell Dentistry.
The RADA TABLE:
0-70 = Low Abrasive 70-100 = medium abrasive
100-150 = highly abrasive 150-250 = regarded as harmful
Toothpaste: RDA Value
| Toothpaste: | RDA Value |
| Toothbrush with plain water | 4 |
| Plain baking soda | 7 |
| Carifree CTx4 Gel | 30 |
| Pronamel | 34 |
| Biotene Gel | 60 |
| Clinpro 5000 | 62 |
| Colgate Total | 70 |
| Sensodyne | 79 |
| Sensodyne Extra Whitening | 104 |
| Colgate Tartar Control | 109 |
| Colgate Whitening | 124 |
Stayed tuned for our next blog with Hartwell Dentistry.