The impact of toothpastes with different RDA on dental hard tissues: evidence-based approaches to assessing safety and efficacy

The abrasiveness of toothpastes is one of the key para­meters that determine their clinical efficacy and safety. The relative dentin abrasivity (RDA) is used in world dentistry to quantitatively assess the intensity of the abrasive effect of toothpastes on dentin. The article summarizes data on the upper safety threshold of RDA, modern methods for its measurement, international standards (ISO 11609, ADA acceptance program), the chemical nature of abrasive components, as well as the results of experimental and clinical studies on the relationship between abrasiveness and clea­ning efficacy. The features of the influence of low and high abrasiveness on tooth cleaning, the role of oral cavity condition and eating habits in the formation of tooth wear, as well as the relationship between the risk of abrasive wear and the harm of poor oral hygiene are considered. Separately, modern abrasive systems (silicate, carbonate, phosphate, polymer, bicarbonate, biomineral and high-hardness oxide) and the classification of abrasives by mechanism of action are analyzed. Examples of the main active complexes included in toothpastes with different RDA ranges are given, and practical recommendations for their rational use from the standpoint of evidence-based dentistry are formulated.