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How much Fluoride Should Be in Children Toothpaste?

Elsie Goycoolea
By Elsie Goycoolea. Updated: January 20, 2017
How much Fluoride Should Be in Children Toothpaste?

You may have heard how sugar is bad for your teeth and how eating too much candy will create those painful cavities. Brushing your teeth after every meal and at least twice a day is what many dental associations recommend to prevent and protect from tooth decay and gum disease. These claims are attributed to the power of fluoride found in most toothpastes in the market in helping with oral health. Nonetheless, fluoride is also found in tap water and it is unclear whether this will add up to a much higher than needed intake of this mineral. When it comes to children, the risk of swallowing toothpaste may ask for a higher control of fluoride in children toothpaste.

In this OneHowTo article we explain how much fluoride should be in children toothpaste.

You may also be interested in: How to Make Coconut Oil Toothpaste

Fluoride toothpaste

Fluoride is a mineral that is added to toothpaste for its potential in improving oral health by preventing and possibly reversing tooth decay. Multiple studies have linked the presence of fluoride and other components such as xylitol, eucalyptus and sodium bicarbonate to an improvement in dental caries. The paste or gel in the toothpaste is argued to help remove plaque (film bacteria) that is formed after eating on teeth and gums.

How much Fluoride Should Be in Children Toothpaste? - Fluoride toothpaste

Fluoride in adult toothpaste

Around 95% of toothpastes sold will contain different amounts of fluoride. The label must indicate the amount of fluoride the toothpaste contains. It has been suggested that the optimum amount of fluoride is between 1000 and 1500 ppm F. Higher amounts may be also found in toothpastes sold with a prescription.

Currently, it is being explored whether the fluoride content in toothpaste is excessive given that most tap water also contains fluoride. Excessive intake of fluoride is linked to possible thyroid disease, liver problems and hormonal imbalances.

Fluoride in children toothpaste

Children have one of the highest consumption rates of sugar and other potentially harmful foods for oral health. Many parents will teach children how to brush their teeth properly in order to prevent dental caries starting from a very young age.

When children learn how to brush their teeth, many will accidentally swallow the toothpaste. Toothpaste brands indicate on the label that children should start brushing with just a small, pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Swallowing the toothpaste may contribute to dental fluorosis. This is a condition characterized for showing white marks or spots on the front of the teeth. Fluorosis might also be developed from overexposure to fluoride in water.

Experts don’t recommend that children under the age of 2 years old use toothpaste. Use your finger instead dampened in water to remove any food from your child’s mouth. For children below the age of 6 years old, some experts suggest a slow introduction to brushing their teeth with a small amount of toothpaste twice a day. Reports suggest that lower amounts of fluoride in toothpaste are not as effective. This indicates that the best way to go might be working slowly towards making sure the child learns how to brush their teeth correctly without swallowing the toothpaste.

Above the age of 6 years old, children may start to increase the amount of toothpaste they use and brush up to 3 times a day.

How much Fluoride Should Be in Children Toothpaste? - Fluoride in children toothpaste

This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to How much Fluoride Should Be in Children Toothpaste?, we recommend you visit our Family health category.

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Roxy
Regarding "reports suggest that lower amounts of fluoride in toothpaste are not as effective.":
Not as effective as other toothpastes that has 1000-1500ppm fluoride content in preventing dental caries? For clarification. Thank you.
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