How Much Fluoride Is In Children’s Toothpaste?

Within this blog we will be covering all the key points to know about how much fluoride is in children’s toothpaste. This includes what fluoride is, fluoride toothpaste for babies & toddlers, fluoride toothpaste for young children and alternatives to fluoride toothpaste.

What is fluoride?

Fluoride is a natural mineral which is found in air, soil, and water. The majority of water contains some traces of fluoride, although the exact amount of fluoride level will vary based on where the water originates from. In some areas, fluoride is actually added to public water supplies due to the potential public health benefits. Some of the potential benefits have been outlined below:

• Slows down mineral loss from tooth enamel
• Prevents cavities
• Inhibits the growth of oral bacteria in the mouth
• Has the potential to reverse early tooth decay
• Improve the strength of weakened tooth enamel (remineralisation)

Fluoride toothpaste for babies and toddlers

Excellent oral health is essential as soon as a baby is born. This will involve wiping the baby’s mouth with a soft cloth before its teeth come in to ensure any bacteria is removed. When the teeth do start to come in then it is recommended to use a soft bristled brush and a fluoride toothpaste. Up until the age of three it is recommended that this toothpaste has at least 1000ppm fluoride and that only a smear is used when brushing. Using fluoride toothpaste at such an early age has only recently been part of the guidelines since 2014, with former recommendations suggesting fluoride-free toothpaste before the age of two.

When brushing your child’s teeth, it is essential to try you best to reduce the risk of them swallowing toothpaste, and this is best done by minimising toothpaste use and leaning their head slightly forwards and downward to ensure excess paste is dribbled out their mouth. It is not a major issue if your child does swallow a small amount of toothpaste, however, if you are using a significant amount of toothpaste then it may become more problematic. However, even in this scenario the usual issue caused is just an upset stomach.

Fluoride toothpaste for young children

As children reach the age of three, they usually begin to develop the ability to spit and thus, both the amount of toothpaste used and the amount of fluoride in their can both be increased. Around the age of three up, until six, it is recommended to use more than 1000ppm fluoride toothpaste, and increase the amount used to a pea. The child should not however, be allowed to fully brush without supervision at this age, to ensure that the correct amount of toothpaste is used and to avoid potentially swallowing copious amounts.

This is because if a child at this age is continually swallowing pea-sized amounts of toothpaste then it can cause regular upset stomachs. While some milk or other dairy product can help deal with this issue, it is best to avoid it occurring in the first place. This issue can be even more problematic if the child is swallowing substantial amounts of toothpaste as it can damage tooth enamel and lead to dental fluorosis. This can cause white stains on teeth, and the risk of this occurring will increase if they continually ingest fluoride regularly and in large amounts.

We will always apply fluoride varnish at children’s dentistry appointments, which studies show substantially reduces dental decay.