Children's Toothpaste Can Be Harmful

Fluoride has been commonly added to toothpastes to prevent cavity formation and to strengthen teeth. Fluoride also gets added to mouth rinse solutions. However what we should know is that excessive fluoride intake can be harmful especially for younger children.

Supermarkets have sweet and fun toothpaste flavors like orange, peach, strawberry and tutti-frutti targeted at children. But a clueless parent may be taken in by obscure or absent label warnings about toxic chemical contents.

Young children are expected to follow brushing motions, spit out the foam from the mouth, rinse and gargle, all while taking care not to swallow toothpaste. But what usually happens is that the children end up swallowing some amounts of toothpaste.

The fluoride then enters the gastrointestinal tract, causing the formation of hydrofluoric acid which irritates internal organs. Fluoride ingested in large quantities can disrupt the enzyme systems, and push salivation into overdrive. Fluoride poisoning can cause symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. Excessive fluoride poisoning can cause multiple organ failures, seizures, breathing difficulties, irregular heart rhythms and may be the cause of heart attacks.

These instances may be rare but the widespread availability of fluoride can be worrisome. It has been proven that fluoride over-consumption during younger ages causes unsightly mottling; pitting and discoloration of teeth enamel, and often retards healthy development of teeth in children. The effects can well get carried through adulthood.

We need to consider how to protect our children from fluoride-overdose. Some manufacturers display the fluoride content in their products in ppm (parts per million). Others specify percentages and there are still others who display nothing about fluoride content of their products.

Since fluoride is not usually considered to be a drug, it is legally not necessary to label the fluoride content of dental products. Manufacturers are not obliged to enlighten consumers about how much fluoride can be considered harmful. What manufacturers follow is a maximum fluoride level of 1500 ppm. In any case, it is up to the consumer to exercise discretion when buying fluoridated products.

Here we list some steps that you as a parent can take to protect children aged less than 7 years from fluoride exposure.

1. Choose to use no-fluoride or low-fluoride children's toothpastes.

2. The amount of toothpaste used one time should only be the size of a pea.

3. To minimize the risk of swallowing of toothpaste, supervise your child's brushing.

4. Educate and motivate your children to spit out the toothpaste and not to swallow it.

5. Unless recommended by a medical professional, avoid using fluoride supplements like drops, tablets or pills for young children.

6. Use only no-fluoride or low-fluoride dental floss and mouthwashes for kids.

The WHO (World Health Organization) says that a fluoride consumption of 2.5-8.0 mg each day leads to skeletal fluorosis, which is a debilitating and crippling bone disease. In any case it is up to us parents to do our research and find the truth in advertising claims.

Source: World Health Organization