Parents have a lot to think about when it comes to baby’s health–from whether irritability is due to an illness or teething, to when to wean from the bottle. Did you know choosing toothpaste specially made for children is as important as choosing children’s aspirin instead of a full-strength adult pain reliever?
While the internet is full of recommendations that all toothpastes are appropriate for very young children, actually most toothpastes sold in stores have warning labels advising use only by adults and children over the age of 12. Talk about mixed messages! All toothpaste is not created equal, says Tooth Talk Expert, Dr. Tim Wright, Distinguished Bawden Professor of Pediatric Dentistry, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Department of Pediatric Dentistry.
So, how do you choose the right toothpaste for very young children? Dr. Wright has some tips.
- Don’t use adult toothpaste for children under the age of 12. Adult toothpastes have additional ingredients that aren’t appropriate for children, such as whiteners, brighteners, antimicrobials, peroxide, and abrasive material.
- Buy children’s toothpaste for kids. Children’s toothpaste has none of these adult toothpaste additives except for good-for-teeth fluoride. Plus, the flavors are more child-friendly; most children don’t like the minty taste of grown-up pastes.
- Make sure it’s children’s toothpaste with fluoride: look for the ADA seal on the box or tube. The American Dental Association, Academy of Pediatrics, and Academy of Pediatric Dentistry all agree that fluoride toothpaste is a healthy choice for protecting little teeth.
- Parents, not the child, should put the children’s toothpaste on the brush. Let kids do it–and brush their own teeth–when they are old enough to tie their shoes.
- Ignore TV and internet ads with the large ribbon of toothpaste on the brush. For kids ages birth to three, Dr. Wright recommends brushing with a tiny smear the size of a grain of rice. Switch to a dab the size of small pea for kids age three to six.
- Don’t worry; swallowing a little bit of toothpaste is OK.
Wright advises there are just two things to remember when buying toothpaste for kids. “Make sure you buy children’s toothpaste, and make sure it has fluoride in it,” he said. “Fluoride is a must. It’s an effective preventive measure because it’s easy, cheap, low-risk, and prescription-free. And it’s a lot safer than taking a two-year-old to the operating room to repair severe tooth decay.”
To see a list of children’s fluoride toothpaste that gets the American Dental Association seal of approval, click here.
