How Abrasive Need a Dentifrice Be?

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Abstract
Stained pellicle is not produced by liquid dentifrices, but results from accumulation of stain on the teeth of certain individuals using water or other nonabrasive dentifrices. The degree of staining is an individual characteristic. Using groups of dental students who were heavy stainers with brush and water, staining of their teeth was detd. while they were using a series of commercial dentifrices of different degrees of abrasiveness. These dentifrices varied from water, which is practically non-abrasive when applived with cross-brushing to the cervical areas of teeth, to a commercial tooth powder capable of cutting a notch 4 1/2 mm. deep with 100,000 strokes. Dentifrice ab-rasiveness greater than that necessary to cut 1 mm. per 100,000 strokes into the cervical area of teeth with the apparatus employed appears to be unnecessary even for very heavy stainers who would not constitute more than 20% of a population. Only one of the commercial paste dentifrices tested was excessively abrasive for heavy stainers. The commercial powders tested, with one exception, were 100% - 300% more abrasive than was found necessary to accomplish stain prevention in our tests on heavy stainers.

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