Ask the Dentist with Dr. Mark Burhenne

Episode #49: How to Know If Your Toothpaste is Abrasive

Feb 15, 2022

36:20

Almost everyone wants that shiny, white smile… But at what cost? Many kinds of toothpaste sold throughout the USA have Relative Dentin Abrasion values well over the hardness of what our teeth are made of, resulting in tooth sensitivity and increased wear and tear. Today Dr. B dives into the makeup of common toothpaste brands, and how each of these is likely to affect your oral health. From the surprising RDA values of toothpastes marketed towards people with sensitive teeth to the habits and bad practices that further abrade our teeth, this episode has it all! Tune in to learn how to check whether your toothpaste is the right one for you, and the habits you need to change to help your teeth. Dr. B shares some of his own experiences with sensitive teeth and the products that he uses and recommends for other sufferers. You don’t want to miss this essential episode!

Key Points From This Episode:

The question that anyone using a toothbrush should be asking [0:00:10]
How to structure your questions when sending them to Dr. B [0:01:03]
Today’s question: “Is Boca considered an abrasive toothpaste?” [0:03:16]
Understanding abrasion indexes and how hard teeth are [0:03:52]
Why Dr. B recommends brushing with baking soda even though it’s as hard as dentin [0:05:58]
A list of the RDA values in common toothpastes [0:07:03]
The toothpastes that Dr. B recommends, and their benefits and disadvantages [0:14:07]
Why Dr. B doesn’t advise using a highly abrasive toothpaste for sensitive teeth [0:15:45]
What to look for, and how to choose your toothpaste based on RDA [0:18:08]
The other factors that affect abrasion when brushing [0:20:10]
An anecdote from Dr. B about managing his sensitive teeth [0:23:37]
Tips from Dr. B on how to keep your teeth healthy and avoid tooth sensitivity [0:24:44]
What to expect from Dr. B’s next DIY recipe [0:29:14]
A summary of today’s episode [0:30:19]
The product Dr. B recommends to stabilize your oral pH in place of brushing [0:31:04]