Should my child use fluoride toothpaste?
When a child’s teeth start to appear, brush them with a child’s size toothbrush. Do not use fluoride toothpaste until the child is able to spit effectively, usually around age three.
For children age three and older, place only one pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on the toothbrush at each brushing. Young children should always be supervised while brushing and taught to spit out, rather than swallow, the toothpaste. Many children under age six have not yet fully developed their swallowing reflex so they may be more likely to accidentally swallow fluoride toothpaste. One of the most important things to remember is that if children are younger than six years old, an adult should supervise their use of fluoride-containing dental products.
Contact a Brighton Healthy Smiles dentist to discuss further recommendations to improve and maintain your child’s dental health.
