Toothpaste RDA Chart
87 toothpastes and how abrasive each one is, from a toothbrush with plain water at 4 to the ADA’s limit at 250. Find yours, then ask us whether it suits your mouth.
What It Measures
A number for how hard a paste scrubs.
RDA stands for Relative Dentin Abrasivity. It is a laboratory measure: a paste is scrubbed against dentin and the wear is compared against a reference. It says nothing about whether a paste cleans well, tastes good or contains fluoride.
- It is a scale, not a verdictA higher number is not automatically bad. The ADA regards anything up to 250 as safe for daily use, and the FDA’s stated limit is 200.
- It matters most if enamel is already thinRecession, grinding, reflux and years of hard brushing all expose softer surfaces. That is when the number starts to count.
- Technique outweighs the pasteA hard brush and pressure will do more than the difference between two pastes twenty points apart. Soft bristles, light hand, two minutes.
- These values are not liveThey are the figures this practice published, and manufacturers reformulate. Treat the table as a guide and check the tube you actually own.
The Table
87 pastes, lowest first.
Grouped into the four bands the original chart names. FDA Recommended Limit 200. ADA Recommended Limit 250.
Low abrasive — RDA 0 to 70 — 37 listed
The gentlest end of the scale. Where a dentist tends to point someone with sensitivity, gum recession or worn enamel.
- 0Livionex
- 4Toothbrush with plain water
- 7Plain baking soda
- 8Arm & Hammer Tooth Powder
- 15Weleda Salt Toothpaste
- 18.5CariFree CTx3 Gel
- 18.5CariFree CTx4 Gel 1100/5000
- 30Elmex Sensitive Plus
- 30Weleda Plant Tooth Gel
- 34Pronamel
- 35Arm & Hammer Dental Care
- 40Weleda Children’s Tooth Gel
- 42Arm & Hammer Mentadent Advance Whitening
- 44Squiggle Enamel Saver
- 45Oxyfresh
- 45Weleda Calendula Toothpaste
- 45Weleda Pink Toothpaste with Ratanhia
- 48Arm & Hammer Dental Care Sensitive
- 49Arm & Hammer Peroxicare Tartar Control
- 49Tom’s of Maine Sensitive
- 51Crest with Scope
- 52Arm & Hammer Peroxicare Regular
- 52Healthy Teeth & Gums
- 53Rembrandt Original
- 54Arm & Hammer Dental Care PM Bold Mint
- 54 – 68Made by Dentists – Kids toothpastes
- 57PerioSciences White Care
- 57Tom’s of Maine Children’s
- 60Biotene Gel
- 60.72Made by Dentists – Adult rebuilding
- 62Clinpro 5000
- 62Supersmile
- 63Rembrandt Mint
- 65Colgate Enamel Care Advanced Whitening
- 65Colgate Prevident 5000 Plus
- 65Crest with Scope Whitening
- 68Colgate Regular
Medium abrasive — RDA 70 to 100 — 16 listed
Most everyday toothpaste sits here. For most mouths, with a soft brush and no scrubbing, this is unremarkable.
- 70Arm & Hammer Advance White Sensitive
- 70Colgate 2-in-1 Fresh Mint
- 70Colgate Total
- 74Crest Rejuvenating Effects Liquid Gel
- 75Prevident 5000 Booster
- 79Sensodyne
- 80Aim
- 80Biotene Paste with Fluoride
- 83Colgate Sensitive Max Strength
- 91Aquafresh Sensitive
- 93Tom’s of Maine Regular
- 94Plus White
- 94Rembrandt Plus
- 95Crest Regular
- 95Oxyfresh with Fluoride
- 97Oxyfresh Powder
Highly abrasive — RDA 100 to 150 — 29 listed
Usually a whitening or tartar-control paste. Still well inside the ADA limit; worth knowing about if your enamel is already thin.
- 100Colgate Enamel Care Natural Whitening
- 100Colgate Optic White
- 101Natural White
- 103Arm & Hammer Sensation
- 103Mentadent
- 104Sensodyne Extra Whitening
- 104.83Made by Dentists – Adult total care
- 106Arm & Hammer Advance White Extreme Whitening
- 106Colgate Platinum
- 106.82Made by Dentists – Adult whitening toothpaste
- 107Crest Sensitivity Protection
- 109Colgate Tartar Control with Baking Soda and Peroxide
- 109Topex ReNew
- 110Amway Glister
- 110Colgate Herbal
- 113Aquafresh Whitening
- 117Arm & Hammer Advance White Gel
- 117Arm & Hammer Sensation Tartar Control
- 117Fluoridex Daily Defense
- 120Close Up with Baking Soda
- 120Crest Extra Whitening with Tartar Protection
- 126Crest Maximum Sensitivity
- 130Crest Extra Whitening
- 133Ultra Brite
- 139Crest MultiCare Fresh Mint
- 140Crest Pro-Health
- 144Crest Multicare Whitening
- 145Colgate Baking Soda Whitening
- 145Ultra Brite Advanced Whitening Formula
At the harmful limit — RDA 150 and above — 5 listed
The old chart marks 150 to 250 as the range regarded as the harmful limit. The FDA's stated limit is 200 and the ADA's is 250.
- 150Pepsodent
- 155Crest Rejuvenating Effects
- 165Colgate Tartar Control
- 175Colgate Luminous
- 200Colgate 2-in-1 Tartar Control/White
The Invitation
Bring the tube in.
A number on a chart cannot see your gums. If you have sensitivity, recession or wear, bring what you use to your next cleaning and we will tell you whether to change anything — often the answer is the brush, not the paste.
- Hours
- Mon to Wed 9am to 6pm
Thu 9am to 5pm
Fri to Sun Closed - Emergencies
- Call the practice. We keep same day slots for pain, breaks and knocked out teeth.
