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Toothpaste Abrasivity (RDA) Lookup

Search, sort and compare the abrasivity (RDA) of 95 toothpastes, plus water and baking soda for reference. Every number shows where it came from and whether a lab measured it.

250Highest RDA allowed for the ADA Seal of Acceptance
250ISO limit for toothpaste RDA
< 250The ADA says values below 250 can't be used to rank safety

Showing all toothpastes

Tap a column name to sort. Fluoride is shown only where the source states it.
Toothpastes with their relative dentin abrasivity (RDA), band, data quality and source. Column headers sort the table.
Compare Band

What the bands mean (conventions, not standards)

Three competing ways to group RDA values
SchemeBandsWhere it comes from

No band scheme is an official standard. The ADA and ISO set one limit, 250, and the ADA says lower numbers shouldn't be used to rank safety.

What toothpaste RDA means

RDA (relative dentin abrasivity) is a lab score for how much a toothpaste wears down dentin compared with a reference powder. The reference is set at 100, so a paste with an RDA of 50 removed about half as much dentin as the reference in that test, and one at 150 removed about half again as much.

The American Dental Association (ADA) describes RDA as a standard scale that the ADA, government agencies and others developed to measure how abrasive toothpastes are. Dentin is the softer, yellowish layer under your enamel. It also makes up the roots of your teeth.

RDA is a lab number. It doesn't copy real brushing, and dentalcare.com (run by a toothpaste maker) notes that lab values aren't meant to predict real-world results. Your brushing force, your brush and how long you brush all matter too.

What is a safe RDA?

The ADA considers any toothpaste at or below RDA 250 safe and effective. Every toothpaste with the ADA Seal of Acceptance must be 250 or lower, and the ISO standard for toothpaste uses the same limit.

The ADA goes further: RDA values below 250 can't be used to rank safety, because they don't match real changes in enamel. The ADA says lifelong use of a toothpaste at 250 or less, with proper brushing, causes limited wear to dentin and virtually no wear to enamel.

So a paste at 150 isn't "dangerous" and one at 50 isn't automatically "better." Some online charts label 151–250 as a "harmful limit." That label doesn't come from the ADA or ISO, and it conflicts with the ADA's position. Some charts also list other limits we couldn't trace to any official document, so we don't show them.

Who should pay attention to abrasivity

For most people with healthy teeth and gums, any ADA-accepted toothpaste is fine. Abrasivity matters more when dentin is exposed, for example:

  • Gums have pulled back and part of the root shows
  • Enamel is worn, for example from acid erosion or grinding
  • Teeth are sensitive, which can be a sign of exposed dentin
  • Your dentist has mentioned brushing wear near the gumline

If any of these apply, ask your dentist or hygienist whether a lower-abrasion paste, a soft brush or a gentler technique would help. For sensitivity, the ADA cites a 2023 review that recommends twice-daily use of a paste with stannous fluoride, potassium (with or without stannous) or arginine.

Why RDA numbers differ between sources

You'll often find two or three different numbers for the same toothpaste. Here's why:

  1. The popular chart is old and unsourced. The most-shared RDA list is undated. The oldest copy we found was posted in 2014. It says it was "compiled from various sources," without naming them.
  2. Versions disagree. Two copies of the chart list Crest Regular at 95 and 110. One copy lists Sensodyne twice, at 79 and 100.
  3. Formulas change. Colgate Total was reformulated in 2019, so a pre-2019 number may not describe today's tube. Mentadent is no longer sold in the US.
  4. The same name means different products. A lab study measured the European Colgate Total Original at RDA 100. The charts list "Colgate Total" at 70.
  5. Labs vary. RDA tests have built-in spread. Lab studies report results as an average plus or minus a range, for example 42 ± 5.

That's why each value in the tool shows its source and a Measured or Reported (unverified) label. Where chart versions disagree, you see the full range.

RDA isn't the whole story: enamel abrasivity (REA)

A newer score, REA (relative enamel abrasivity), measures wear on enamel instead of dentin. The ISO standard caps REA at 40.

The two scores don't always agree. In one lab dataset, a Swiss toothpaste had an RDA of just 12 but an REA of 244, far above the ISO limit. A low RDA tells you little about enamel.

The three band schemes

You'll see toothpastes labeled "low," "medium" or "high," but there's no official banding. The tool lets you switch between three schemes:

SchemeBandsStatus
Research bands (Hamza et al.)Low under 40 · Moderate 40–80 · High over 80Used in recent peer-reviewed lab studies
Imfeld0–20 · 20–40 · 40–60 · 60–80 · over 80Older five-step scale, quoted in research
Online chart (informal)0–70 · 71–100 · 101–150 · 151–250Circulating consumer chart; not from the ADA or ISO

Notice how the same paste can be "high" in one scheme and "low" in another. Colgate Regular at 68 is "Low" on the online chart but "Moderate" in the research bands.

How to choose a toothpaste

  • Start with fluoride. Fluoride helps prevent cavities. Many charcoal and "natural" pastes in the lab studies had none.
  • Look for the ADA Seal if you're in the US. It means the paste has passed the ADA's review, including RDA of 250 or less.
  • Match the paste to your needs. Sensitive teeth, high cavity risk or exposed roots are good reasons to ask your dentist for a specific suggestion.
  • Know the trade-off with whitening. Abrasives remove surface stains, and dentalcare.com notes that lower-RDA pastes tend to remove less stain.
  • Brush gently. Use a soft brush and short, gentle strokes. The Two-Minute Brushing Timer walks you through it, and the replacement reminder tells you when your brush is worn out.

How this tool works

The table combines two kinds of data:

  • Measured: values from three peer-reviewed lab studies (Zoller 2023, Enax 2023, and Hamza 2020 as reported in Dobler 2023). These used standard lab RDA tests. Most products are sold in Europe. Where the study gave a spread (± value), REA, fluoride type or the maker's stated RDA, we show it.
  • Reported (unverified): values from two copies of the widely shared online chart and one 2026 dental blog that quotes 3M's own testing. We couldn't check the original tests.

For each product, the tool keeps every value it found. The RDA column shows one number when all sources agree and a range when they don't. Sorting by RDA uses the middle of the range.

Bands come from the scheme you pick. If a range crosses two bands, you see both. The Low abrasivity filter is cautious: it uses the highest value reported for each product.

Tags (sensitive, whitening, kids, charcoal) come from product names, and every Sensodyne product is tagged sensitive because the brand is made for sensitive teeth. Fluoride is only listed when the source states it. The online charts don't, so most chart rows say "Not recorded." Check the label on your tube.

Limits of this tool: the chart values are old and can't be traced, formulas change, and the same name can mean different products in different countries. Use the numbers as a rough guide, not a ranking of safety.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good RDA for toothpaste?
Any toothpaste at or below RDA 250 is considered safe and effective by the ADA, and every toothpaste with the ADA Seal must be 250 or less. The ADA also says numbers below 250 can't be used to rank safety. If you have exposed roots or worn enamel, ask your dentist whether a lower-abrasion paste makes sense for you.
What is the RDA of Sensodyne ProNamel?
One online chart lists it at 34, and a 2026 dental blog reports 34 to 37 across several charts. These are reported values, not lab measurements we could check, so treat them as approximate.
Is there an official list of toothpaste RDA values?
No. Makers rarely publish RDA, and the widely shared charts are undated and don't name their sources. Peer-reviewed lab studies have measured some toothpastes, mostly European ones. This tool marks each value as Measured or Reported (unverified).
Are charcoal toothpastes more abrasive?
Not always. A 2023 lab study of 12 charcoal toothpastes found RDA values from 26 to 166, and the authors said they didn't differ much from other toothpastes. Many of them had no fluoride, which the authors flagged as a drawback.
Why do different charts give different RDA numbers for the same toothpaste?
Formulas change over time, the same brand name can cover several products, labs test differently, and many charts copy older lists. For example, the two chart versions list Crest Regular at 95 and 110.

Sources

  1. American Dental Association. Toothpastes (Oral Health Topics). updated February 11, 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  2. dentalcare.com (Procter & Gamble). Stain Control/Whitening Agents, in A-Z Fundamentals of Dentifrice: Oral Health Benefits in a Tube. Source of the ISO 250 limit. Sponsored by a toothpaste maker. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  3. Dobler L, Hamza B, Attin T, Wegehaupt FJ. Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry. Abrasive Enamel and Dentin Wear Resulting from Brushing with Toothpastes with Highly Discrepant Relative Enamel Abrasivity (REA) and Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) Values. 2023. Band schemes (Hamza, Imfeld), the ISO REA limit, and lab values for 3 toothpastes from Hamza et al. 2020. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  4. Zoller MJ, Hamza B, Cucuzza C, Gubler A, Attin T, Wegehaupt FJ. International Journal of Dental Hygiene. Relative dentin and enamel abrasivity of charcoal toothpastes. 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  5. Enax J, Meyer F, Schulze zur Wiesche E, Fuhrmann IC, Fabritius H-O. Dentistry Journal. Toothpaste Abrasion and Abrasive Particle Content: Correlating High-Resolution Profilometric Analysis with Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA). 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  6. Williamson Periodontics. Toothpaste Abrasiveness Ranked by RDA (Relative Dentin Abrasion) Value. posted 2014, undated compilation. Reported values; sources not named. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  7. 21st Century Dental of Irving. Toothpastes That Eat Teeth. undated. Reported values; credits the Aurum Group. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  8. Old Betsy Dental (Brock Bennion, DDS). Toothpaste RDA Chart: Why Online Charts Contradict Each Other. 2026. Reports 3M's values for Clinpro 5000 and PreviDent 5000 Booster. We could not open the 3M document. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  9. Consumer Reports. Are Any Toothpaste Ingredients Dangerous to Your Health?. May 2, 2019. Colgate Total reformulation. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  10. Wikipedia. Mentadent. Discontinued in the US and Canada. Accessed October 26, 2026.

Last reviewed by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.

Tooth Sensitivity QuizSensitive teeth → likely causes and what helps Acid-Attack CalculatorSnacks and sips → your daily acid time 2-Minute Brushing Timer2 minutes, zone by zone, with a streak Toothbrush ReminderReplace-by dates + repeating reminders Kids Fluoride CalculatorRice-grain vs pea size, and the supplement chart