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Tooth whitening without abrasive toothpaste – Independent lab test results

Since the early 2017 launch of our newest OraWellness product solution, Shine Remineralizing Tooth Whitening Powder, we have been truly touched and blown away by the support, response, and results we have received back from you.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the high-level customer feedback stats:

  • 85.8% of customers found that their teeth were less sensitive (a sign of remineralization)
  • 67% of customers felt that their teeth were whiter from using Shine
  • and over 90% would recommend Shine to their friends

While all of this customer feedback has been awesome, we also wanted some scientific data on Shine.

So, we hired an independent dental lab to test Shine for a few of the same factors for which the ‘grown up’ companies in oral hygiene test their products. We needed to know how Shine stands up to commercial brands.

In this article, we’ll explain the tests, what they evaluate, and what the results say about Shine (spoiler alert: we are thrilled with Shine’s ability to help the world experience natural tooth whitening without the risks of abrasives!).

 

Tooth whitening testing terms

Those of you who have read our eBook on how to naturally whiten your teeth without destroying your enamel or our series on natural tooth whitening may recall that we referenced 3 standardized tools that the industry uses to quantify how abrasive a toothpaste is as well as how well the paste cleans our teeth.

Here’s a quick recap of the tools:

Relative Dentin Abrasivity (RDA) – Like it sounds, the RDA is testing to see how abrasive an oral hygiene product is on the teeth.

As you’d imagine, the higher the RDA number, the harder and more abrasive the product is going to be on our teeth. The typical RDA range is from 0 – 260, and this range is commonly broken into the following groups:

  • very low abrasive (0-39)
  • low abrasive (40-70)
  • medium abrasive (71-99)
  • high abrasive (100-149)
  • harmfully abrasive (150+)

Pellicle Cleaning Ratio (PCR) – The PCR measures how well a product polishes the teeth and removes stains.

While not strictly defined, PCR generally ranges from 0-150.

Cleaning Efficiency Index (CEI) – The Cleaning Efficiency Index combines a product’s abrasivity level (RDA) with the cleaning ability (PCR) into one number that tells us how efficiently a product can clean our teeth.

The CEI range is typically from 0 – 2, and the higher the number, the better the cleaning efficiency. The highest number we’ve found in the literature was for a finished formula containing white kaolin clay, which is why we use this specific type of clay in Shine.

 

The common path to tooth whitening

As you’d guess, generally speaking, the higher the RDA (abrasivity) number, the higher the PCR (cleaning) number. After all, you can clean off a lot more stuff with something that’s more abrasive, right?

A quick look through the RDA chart of many commercial brands shows just this. The ‘whitening’ and ‘ultra bright’ products tend to have really high RDA scores, so many of them are in the ‘harmfully abrasive’ range.

The glaring problem is that when we make a tooth product more abrasive, it increases the risk of removing enamel.

Most of our culture doesn’t realize the very real potential consequences of using super harsh abrasives on our teeth.

However, those of us in the OraWellness community know that brushing your teeth with something really gritty can cause permanent damage by removing enamel, especially when the abrasives are used in conjunction with the “scrubbing the grout line” method that many folks use to brush their teeth (feel free to check out this blog entry to learn how to use the much more gentle Bass Brushing Technique instead).

This risk is also compounded when we brush our teeth after consuming an acidic drink like kombucha (here’s a link to a blog entry that explains how to drink kombucha without destroying your teeth).

So, circling back to Shine, our challenge was to make a product that would provide support to naturally whiten our teeth while also helping our teeth be healthier and stronger long-term.

Challenge accepted!

We thought this was possible. The research suggested that certain ingredients helped to polish better without as much abrasive action. This is exactly what the Cleaning Efficiency Index (CEI) measures–how well a product can clean without being really abrasive.

 

Quick review of Shine’s founding principles

When we first pondered the creation of Shine, we decided that its primary focus would be to help stop existing tooth decay and protect against future decay by supporting the body’s natural remineralization mechanisms.

Feel free to check out this video to learn more about how Shine works, and for a deeper dive on how to remineralize your teeth, we invite you to download our FREE eBook, How to Stop Tooth Decay and Remineralize Your Teeth.

As a secondary function, we also wanted Shine to provide a gentle whitening benefit without causing any harm to enamel.

After all, if we whitened our teeth at the expense of our enamel, we would not be supporting our larger goal to support the long term health of our teeth.

Incidentally, if you are experiencing increased sensitivity from using commercial whitening products that did wind up damaging your teeth, you may find some helpful tips in our blog entry, “What causes sensitive teeth and how to stop it.”

 

Shine RDA (abrasivity) results:

The first result we got back from the lab was the RDA for Shine. It scored at 33, which is at the upper end of the ‘very low abrasive’ section of the RDA scale.

Perfect.

Very low abrasivity to make sure we’re not compromising the long-term health of our enamel.

 

Shine PCR (cleaning) results:

The next test results we received told us how well Shine cleans and polishes stains from teeth. The PCR score is 47.

Right where we wanted it.

Not super high, as that would mean the RDA was also too high (and also, contrary to what a lot of the ads might try to make you believe, you shouldn’t have to wear sunglasses to look at someone’s teeth).

But Shine’s PCR score means that it can still effectively remove food and drink stains to restore teeth to their natural pearly-white luster, which means that customers will see a whiter smile really quickly.

 

Optimizing tooth whitening efficiency…

The real excitement was when we calculated Shine’s Cleaning Efficiency Index (CEI). After all, we were already pretty sure that Shine wasn’t going to be too abrasive because we didn’t formulate it with any ingredients that could make it too gritty.

But what we wanted to know is how efficiently Shine could clean our teeth WHILE keeping the abrasivity as low as possible. A very real challenge in this world of oral hygiene products.

So, to calculate the Cleaning Efficiency Index (CEI), we need both the RDA and PCR values.

Here’s the formula:  CEI = (RDA+PCR-50)/RDA

Following this, we get…

(33 (Shine RDA) + 47 (Shine PCR) – 50) / 33 (Shine RDA)

This means that Shine has a Cleaning Efficiency Index of 0.91.

Amazing.

Even better than we had hoped for this secondary focus of Shine, to naturally whiten our teeth without compromising our enamel.

 

Wrapping up…

Thank you for joining us on this journey. We are honored that you find value in our research and product solutions.

If you’ve used Shine, what has your experience been?

Have you noticed any decrease in sensitivity?

Have you found your teeth becoming whiter over the weeks?

Love it, hate it, or mixed, we’d love to hear your thoughts and what your experience has been using Shine. Please tell us in the comments below.

Last, please consider helping us by sharing this article with your loved ones that want a brighter smile.

 

Helpful, related resources:

How to Naturally Whiten Your Teeth (Without Destroying Your Enamel) [Free eBook]
What’s the safest and most effective abrasive to use on your teeth? [article]
Is baking soda safe to brush with? [article]
Toothpaste abrasivity chart [free resource]
How to brush your teeth to reduce gum disease [article and video tutorial]
How to drink kombucha and not destroy your teeth [article]
What causes sensitive teeth and how to stop it [article]
How to Stop Tooth Decay and Remineralize Your Teeth [Free eBook]

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Remineralization, Whiter Teeth Naturally

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Will And Susan

Will and Susan are the founders of OraWellness and are passionate about health, wellness and positive living.

"We are experienced dental health crusaders and holistic oral health product innovators who know first hand the power of nature to heal in miraculous ways."

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Comments

  1. david snarski says

    April 21, 2019

    where do i find this product

    Reply
  2. Cheryl A Cooper says

    February 6, 2018

    I have been using Shine for about a year. I recently had a visit with my dental hygienist. She found almost no calculus. I usually have a moderate amount. She also commented on how clean my teeth were overall and how healthy my gums are. I told her about Shine Remineralizing Tooth Whitening Powder and HealThy Mouth Blend. She had never heard of them so I referred her to OraWellness for more information.

    I have diabetes, so 6-9 monthly checkups are the recommended protocol to maintain optimal dental health. However, both the hygienist and dentist agreed that my oral hygiene is so good that I can return to annual checkups. As I have not made any other changes that would affect my dental health, I can only put this improvement down to consistent use of Shine Remineralizing Tooth Whitening Powder and HealThy Mouth Blend.

    I have also noticed my teeth are definitely whiter than they used to be. Thank you for making products that support my quest for excellent oral health.

    Reply
    • Will And Susan says

      March 18, 2018

      Aloha Cheryl!

      Thank you SO much for sharing your story with us!

      We are so honored to serve you and so many others along this path to optimal oral health. You just became our ‘testimonial of the week’!

      Truly, it’s so amazing to read your words. And honestly, we can’t take the credit. You had the open mindedness to look for alternative solutions. You had the courage to give them a try. You have the tenacity and diligence to stick with using the products. Welcome to dental self empowerment Cheryl. It’s an honor to be here with you! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Fiona says

    February 5, 2018

    Honestly I have not noticed a difference in whiteness. My mouth feels amazing after using Shine, though and this is the most amazing thing ever: When I wake up in the morning, I don’t have morning breath! How is that even possiìble?
    I use Heal Thy Mouth and the Shine together and am just ordering more as I’m absolutely in love with the products.
    Wish you were in Canada as the border duty is a bit high……worth it though.

    Reply
  4. Jeanne D. says

    February 5, 2018

    I like everything about Shine except that its a powder. I know I can make it into a paste myself by mixing it with coconut oil, but I’d really rather you did that for me. Oh, and then put it in a squeeze tube so it’s easy to get onto my toothbrush. Then it would be absolutely perfect!

    Reply
  5. Sarah says

    February 5, 2018

    I would not have believed anything would make my mouth feel cleaner than the HealThyMouth blend…but when I use it in conjunction with Shine, it does! I’m loving it!

    Reply
  6. Dr Lynn Schriner says

    February 4, 2018

    I love Shine Fresh Mint! I have a serious dental phobia after having some really bad experiences with dentists! I was taught how to clean my own teeth by my brother who was a periodontal hygienist and recently my gums began to exhibit and so did my teeth. (I am 63) After using both Shine and your Oral wellness oil my gums and teeth are acting much healthier! Really thankful for your products! Thanks

    Reply
  7. Judy Faust says

    February 4, 2018

    I love the product, Shine. My teeth seem stronger, whiter, and feel cleaner than before my use of Shine. In fact, I am ready to buy a refill.

    Reply
    • Will And Susan says

      February 4, 2018

      Aloha Judy!

      We’re so glad and honored that you find benefit from our research!

      Reply
  8. Cindi says

    February 4, 2018

    I noticed less sensitivity within just a few days of using your product, and it is increasingly so the longer I use it! I have too many stains from old fillings that whitening toothpaste can’t fix, unfortunately, but it keeps my mouth healthy and that’s what matters!

    Reply
  9. Windee Willoughby says

    February 4, 2018

    I love the cinnamon shine!!!! I’me one of those people who has never enjoyed brushing my teeth and that has now changed. I have noticed decreased sensitivity and increased whitening. The whitening is coming along slowly as it should.
    Thanks so much for all your efforts!
    A fan,
    Windee Willoughby

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

OraWellness Shine

Most tooth whitening products look to whiten teeth as their only focus. The primary purpose of Shine is to help your teeth be healthy and strong by remineralizing your teeth.

Secondary, the whitening works pretty well too! 🙂

Learn More

Since I grew up in the generation that encouraged honey in a baby bottle, “penny candy” and a daily candy bar in my lunch box….I have had cavities my entire life! I just became used to yearly shots of novacaine!

Since making a healthy lifestyle change 6 years ago which also included dental awareness & health, I began using Ora Wellness Healthy Mouth Blend and most recently “Shine”!

I can’t remember the last cavity & I even receive compliments from my Dentist & hygienist on how healthy my teeth & gums are!

On my last visit my Dentist said, “Whatever you are doing…just keep it up!”

My husband & friends compliment my smile & white teeth consistently!

In the words of Soupy Sales, “Be true to your teeth & they won’t be false to you!”
Thank you Ora Wellness….couldnt have done it without you!

Lisa H from Bonsall, CA

I first encountered OraWellness through the Heal Thy Mouth blend. I loved the way my mouth felt after using it and enjoyed not making my own toothpaste! My gums are healthier than they’ve ever been.

I was going to start making my own toothpaste again to heal my teeth and remineralize them. I was happy to find the Shine tooth powder instead! I also love the way my mouth feels after using it and sensitivity has decreased with use!

I look forward to continuing results!

Sarah M from Ewa Beach, HI

I’ve been making my own tooth powder for over a year now, with good results. I’ve also tried other natural tooth powders that were just okay. I decided to try Shine because I used OraWellness Healthy Mouth Oil alongside my toothpowder and on my floss with amazing results, that even my dentist noticed right away.

Shine is just amazing. It’s a step beyond my own tooth powder that I make. I thought it couldn’t get any better than my own homemade, but Shine is something very stellar!

I noticed a difference after just a couple of times of using it. My teeth are brighter and whiter and I love the taste as well. The bright smile I have now makes me look a lot younger than I really am! Who doesn’t want that??!

I still use the Healthy Mouth oil on my floss and I use it in water as a rinse, but Shine does everything and more that a tooth powder should do. So happy with the results!

Jeanie K from Highlands Ranch, CO

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