How Safe is the use of Tasty Toothpastes for Kids?
Most toothpastes which are meant for kids have the flavor of bubble-gum or candy otherwise they will be reluctant to brush their teeth.But we can notice a label on the box of these toothpastes advising that the toothpastes should only be used under the supervision of adults.This is because of the fluorides in the toothpastes.
Fluorides are actually good for the teeth and these toothpastes are generally regarded as safe for use but the fluoride content in the children’s toothpastes are much higher than the required daily amount.
We get fluorides from water and also by consuming other beverages.The drinking water contains very less fluoride content compared to that of toothpastes.The toothpastes which are meant for children contain 1000-1100 parts per million (PPM) of fluorides which are almost equal to that of adult toothpastes.
Kids love to use more pastes while brushing the teeth because obviously they love the sweet flavor.The colorful cartoon characters on the boxes of the toothpastes encourage them to take more pastes which are not really good for the kids’ teeth.
Children below the age of 3 years have the tendency to swallow the toothpastes since they do not have complete control over their swallowing reflex.There are kids who love to eat flavored tooth pastes because of its sweet taste.
All these lead to an excess intake of fluoride which eventually will harm the teeth.Teeth keep growing up to 16 years.Excess intake of fluoride will lead to a disease called fluorosis which will halt the growth of the teeth.
Fluorosis can be classified into two:-
Mild Fluorosis-There will be little white specks on the teeth and this is seen in most of the people
Severe Fluorosis-There will be brown deformities on the teeth which is caused by the regular excess intake of fluoride.
Steps to be taken by the parents to avoid fluorosis in children
- Take only small amount of paste for the children and do not avoid toothpastes completely for children since fluorides are essential for the proper growth of the teeth
- Parents should guide them for how to brush the teeth and they should be physically present while the kids are brushing the teeth
- For kids under the age of 3, parents should brush their kids’ teeth using proper techniques.
- For children at the ages between 3 and 6,parents should allow their kids to brush on their own so that they can be used to it and also brush them properly if they are not perfectly done
- Parents’ supervision should end at age 7, but may continue till the child learns proper brushing technique.
- Follow the instructions mentioned on the package of the toothpaste.
So the question arises why can’t we have toothpastes with low level of fluoride?
This is because fluoride content of 1000-1100 PPM prevents dental cavities and this is also approved by Food and drug administration.No research has been done to establish the usefulness of lower levels of fluoride in preventing dental cavities.This is why the makers of toothpastes haven’t considered lowering of fluoride levels.
In 2001 the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention persuaded the toothpaste makers to conduct a study on the effectiveness of low fluoride content toothpastes. There has been no further development on this issue.
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admin on March 12th 2011 in Dentistry and dental treatment