Toothpaste is one thing most of us don't have much brand loyalty for. I almost never buy the same tube twice, even if I find one I like. There's always some new flavor or cleaning agent they tout. Rembrandt has always been more of a "premium" brand so I decided to give their Intense Stain toothpaste a shot.


I drink one or two cups of coffee a day, a can or two of soda, and have thinner-than-average tooth enamel. I've done professional whitening so my teeth look decent already -- I intended to use this for "maintenance" so I don't have to whiten as often. If an $8 tube of toothpaste saves my teeth from the next-morning soreness from my bleaching trays, I'm all for it.


I have gone through two of the 3oz tubes (bonus: they are within the TSA limits for liquids!) over the last month and a half. As far as basic function to clean teeth, I wasn't very impressed. It doesn't seem to break through plaque or tartar any better than the various Colgate/Crest/Mentadent/Aquafresh toothpastes yet costs more than double. In fact, I would say that for tartar or plaque control, this toothpaste is below average, even when used with a Sonicare.


The flavor is quite mild. Not spicy, not sweet, not artificial -- seems to be heavy in the baking soda/hydrogen peroxide department if I had to characterize it. It's inoffensive.


Another reviewer commented on the runny consistency, and I will agree with that. Most toothpastes I've used are gel-like and won't run off the toothbrush. Rembrandt Intense Stain is very thin and you need to start brushing FAST after applying it. This also means it will run down the side of your toothbrush while you are brushing and might require extra spitting. Is this a deal-breaker? No, but it's rather annoying when you suddenly have toothpaste running down your chin. Would a bit more thickening agent be so much to ask?


As I said above, my teeth aren't really stained or yellow right now, but they didn't appear to look any better after six weeks of using this toothpaste. Perhaps the Rembrandt toothpaste kept things level, or perhaps I should've used it for a longer period of time. I would encourage someone with stained teeth to try this for a month or two and report back. At $8 for a 3oz tube, I wasn't about to keep using this for a few more months to see how it turned out.


So in the end, this toothpaste is a lot of money for what seems like no redeeming qualities other than its rather mild taste and fancy name. Compared to the big tubes of Crest, Colgate, and every other brand that are twice the size and half the price, this isn't worth the money. I will give Rembrandt a thumbs up for keeping the tube small so that frequent travelers can take it on a carry-on bag, but you can just buy the $0.99 travel-sized Crest.

Recommended: No