A recent article in the Journal of the American Dental Association highlights the updated recommendations regarding the use of fluoridated toothpaste in children. The previous recommendations indicated that children age 2 and younger use non-fluoridated toothpaste, also known as training toothpaste, while children ages 2-6 use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste that contains fluoride.
The new recommendation advises that all children use fluoridated toothpaste, starting at the appearance of their first tooth. In order to prevent excess ingestion of fluoride, children under 3 years old should only use a smear of toothpaste, the equivalent of the size of a grain of rice, when brushing their teeth in the morning and evening. Children ages 3 to 6 years old should use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste when brushing their teeth in the morning and evening. These recommended amounts ensure that children are getting exposure to fluoride and that those children who may be too young to spit out their toothpaste are not ingesting too much fluoride.
Here's a great example of what a "smear" or "rice grain" amount looks like (see toothbrush on left) as compared to a "pea-sized" amount (see toothbrush on right). As you can see, the "smear" is a very small application of toothpaste. It should also be noted that these toothbrushes are children's sized and smaller than a standard toothbrush.
Have you begun brushing your child's teeth with toothpaste yet? Well, it's time to start! Feel free to contact Jacques Dentistry at 864-242-4848 or online to set up a dental visit for your child so that we can show both you and child proper brushing tips and techniques.
