Is Your Toothpaste Too Abrasive?

Written By Amberly Ngo

One question I get fairly often from patients is, “What toothpaste should I use?”

Most people choose toothpaste based on whether they want whitening, sensitivity relief, cavity protection, or simply because it is the brand they've always used. But there is another factor that I think is worth paying attention to: how abrasive is your toothpaste?

Toothpaste needs some abrasiveness to help remove plaque and surface stains. The concern is that, over many years of brushing, highly abrasive toothpaste can contribute to wear—especially when combined with aggressive brushing, a hard toothbrush, gum recession, or acidic foods and drinks.

This is where RDA comes in.

What is RDA?

RDA stands for Relative Dentin Abrasivity. It is a laboratory measurement used to compare how abrasive different toothpastes are to dentin.

In general, the higher the RDA, the more abrasive the toothpaste is to dentin

  • RDA under 70: Low abrasion

  • RDA 71–100: Moderate abrasion

  • RDA over 101: Higher abrasion

However, I don't recommend looking at an RDA number and immediately deciding that a toothpaste is “good” or “bad.” RDA is only one part of the equation. How hard you brush, what type of toothbrush you use, how often you brush, and whether your teeth have already been weakened by erosion or recession all matter as well.

Toothpaste Abrasiveness Chart

This chart gives a helpful comparison of the RDA values of many commonly used toothpastes:

View the full Toothpaste Abrasiveness Ranked by RDA chart

One thing you may notice is that different toothpastes from the same brand can have very different RDA values. This is why I recommend looking at the specific toothpaste, rather than simply choosing a brand.

Does this mean whitening toothpaste is bad?

Many whitening toothpastes are designed to remove surface stains using abrasive ingredients. If you have healthy teeth and gums, a whitening toothpaste may be perfectly reasonable.

However, if you already have gum recession, exposed roots, sensitivity, or visible wear near the gumline, I may recommend using a less abrasive toothpaste.

Dr. Nicholas Chiu DDS
August 31, 2026

Amberly Ngo