Pumice Preppies is a great product for use in the clinical setting as a cleaner. Dentists and Hygienists alike use this product to clean heavy buildup of stains, prepare tooth surfaces for brackets and as a prophylaxis paste for those with allergies, as it does not contain Gluten (the container refers to ‘Flour of Pumice’). Why?
It is simply due to smaller size powder particles. There is no Wheat Flour or other seed flour in the product.
A customer called recently and wanted to know the Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) index of Pumice Preppies. This product is not rated the way that toothpastes are rated in terms of abrasiveness. WIth toothpaste, abrasive value is a very important tool to compare different pastes, because the patient uses one every day. Preppies are used only occasionally to remove build up or as a method of cleaning the teeth by a dental professional.
Pumice is a natural volcanic by-product. Approximately 90% of the pumice particles in the preppies are less than 40 microns in size and breakdown under use into smaller pieces.
Below are some Toothpastes and their RDA. For a current and more comprehensive list, see the internet under Toothpaste RDA.
Compare values with the FDA's limit of 200 and the ADA's limit of 250.
| BRAND | NAME | RDA |
| Toothbrush w/water | 4 | |
| Sensodyne | Pronamel | 34 |
| Oxyfresh | 45 | |
| Rembrandt | Original | 53 |
| Colgate | Regular | 68 |
| Colgate | TOTAL | 70 |
| Close up | 80 | |
| Aquafresh | Sensitivity | 91 |
| Crest | Regular | 110 |
| Aquafresh | Whitening | 113 |
| Crest | Extra Whitening | 130 |
| Crest | Pro Health Whitening | 162 |
| Colgate | 2-in-1 Tartar Control | 200 |
The reported values are derived from dentifrice abrasivity lists available on the internet. The number of dentifrices will continue to grow as new tooth cleaning products appear on the market every year.