Parents are unwittingly dispensing a potentially toxic amount of toothpaste onto their children’s toothbrushes, health officials cautioned in a study released recently.
The study, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said almost 40% percent of children between the ages of 3 and 6 used far more toothpaste than advised by oral healthcare professionals. For children as young as 3 months to 8 years of age, ingesting an unhealthy amount of fluoridated toothpaste can cause fluorosis, a discoloration/malformation of their teeth.
The C.D.C. and American Dental Association advised parents/caretakers of children in that age range to administer no more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste,
The C.D.C.’s survey of nearly 1,700 children in that age bracket discovered that approximately 38 percent of them used more than the recommended amount of toothpaste. In addition, an inordinate concentration of fluoride in drinking water can also contribute to dental fluorosis, the dental association says on its website.
Children under the age of 3 should be using even less toothpaste (a grain-sized amount of toothpaste), according to the guidelines. Toddlers are more at risk to fluorosis and their ability to spit less developed therefore increasing their chances of swallowing toothpaste says the C.D.C.
The takeaway message of this study is that parents should not only dispense a minimal amount of toothpaste during their children’s oral hygiene activities but to monitor their children during said activities. This way they ensure proper oral hygiene habits and prevent any possible adverse development to their children’s teeth.