Should we be using fluoride paste or not for toothbrushing a 1-year-old who eats the toothpaste?
We recently read about how important it is to start toothbrushing once teeth break, both to establish the habit/routine and to prevent early decay.
But the kid's paste we bought (which is delicious, incidentally) is fluoride free. Is that desirable, since it gets eaten, or does that make it ineffective in its decay-prevention role?
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It seems in your case a pea sized bit of fluoride free toothpaste until two years of age is the most consistent recommendation. Consider unsweetened toothpaste; the trade off being between building the habit of brushing (sweetness as incentive) and developing a habit of spitting out toothpaste (sweetness being a hurdle).
Here are some resources to help you decide now and as he grows:
FAQ on Fluoridation by the American Dental Association see "Do not use fluoride toothpaste until the child is two years old unless advised to do so by a dentist or other health professional."
Dental Care for Infants and Children via Wexner Medical Center
American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry: Patient Brochures
Exerpt from Dental Care For Your Baby:
We used toddler toothpaste without flouride (there are plenty of choices) up until I saw effort being made about spitting. I'd brush for them and demonstrate what I wanted them to do, and it took a while. My first daughter seemed to do a good job picking it up around 18 months, while my son took until he was probably 24 months or so. The non-flouride toothpastes are fine, the habit is far more important than what you use. We did use a flouride toothpaste with my first daughter for a little while, but it actually seemed like it was occasionally giving her an upset stomach, so we stopped with it.
I don't think you should worry too much about ingested toothpaste. In some regions, water is fluoridized, causing no harm to the population, so it is safe to assume the health-risks of fluoride ingestion aren't all that big, as long as it is not excessive.
If you really feel uncomfortable using regular toothpaste, you could also try to find fluoride-reduced toothpaste. Here (the Netherlands) this is usually sold as "toddler toothpaste" or "preschool toothpaste" (translation is a bit inaccurate).
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