Buying a cute toothbrush and brushing regularly tend to be the easy parts of a child’s dental care routine. But when it comes to fluoride, there’s sometimes confusion over how much of it kids need, when to start using fluoride, and the role fluoridated water plays.
To keep your child’s pearly whites gleaming and cavity-free, read on to learn more about fluoride for kids, why little ones need this important mineral in the first place, and how fluoride in tap water can support your family’s oral health.
What is fluoride?
Fluoride is a mineral that works to prevent tooth decay, strengthens the enamel on the outside of teeth and fights harmful plaque.
Fluoride can be applied to teeth in toothpaste, mouth rinse or a supplement, and it’s also added to the water supply in many areas of the country.[1]
Why do children need fluoride?
Dental cavities (tooth decay) are one of the most common chronic diseases in both kids and adults in the United States, but the modern miracle of fluoride — both in toothpaste and drinking water — has been a major success story.
Kids need fluoride to fight bacteria in their mouths that can damage teeth. As children eat and drink, these germs are mixed with sugars and starches, which creates acid that can eat away at tooth enamel.[2]
But by regularly using toothpaste and mouth rinse with fluoride, as well as drinking water that contains this vital mineral, your tot’s teeth can become more resistant to acid.
The result: Fluoride can actually reduce the risk of cavities and help rebuild tooth enamel, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).[3]
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When should kids start brushing with fluoride toothpaste and how much should they use?
As for when to start brushing with fluoride, the AAP recommends using a tiny smear (about the size of a grain of rice) twice a day as soon as the first tooth appears in your child’s mouth.
Continue using a small, rice-sized amount of toothpaste until your tot is 3 years old (this helps limit how much she can potentially swallow), and then increase the amount of toothpaste to a pea-sized dab.
Before your baby’s teeth start to emerge, you can clean her mouth by wiping the gums with a soft washcloth.
Just a small amount of toothpaste is recommended in the early years since kids aren’t great spitters at this point. But once they become better at spitting into the sink after brushing, you can add a bit more toothpaste.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to help your tot brush even up until at least about age 8 or later, at which point some kids have the ability to brush and rinse on their own. (A good rule of thumb: Once your tot can tie her shoelaces on her own, she’s also likely be ready to brush her teeth without assistance.)
Is fluoride safe for children?
Yes, fluoride is 100% safe for kids and strongly recommended by the AAP as well as the American Dental Association (ADA) as the best way to fight cavities and tooth decay.
Remember to stick to a tiny smear of toothpaste with fluoride from infancy through toddlerhood (age 3), then move to a bigger amount when your tot is better able to spit and rinse after brushing.
If your tap water has fluoride in it, do kids still need to brush with fluoride toothpaste?
Think of fluoride as a two-prong approach for healthy teeth: One pathway is to apply fluoride directly to teeth in the form of toothpaste, brushing it on the outside.
But the other way is to drink fluoridated water, which rinses the teeth with the mineral. In fact, municipal water that contains fluoride can reduce tooth decay by 25%.[4]
As for bottled water vs. tap water? Some parents choose to give their kids bottled water over tap thinking that it’s healthier, but bottled doesn’t necessarily mean better. And when it comes to keeping teeth healthy, it may be worse since some brands don’t contain fluoride.
If you prefer to stick with bottled water for your family, consider looking for one that’s fortified (check the label to be sure).
Is your water filtered? Some carbon-based water filters are fluoride-friendly, leaving most of the mineral in the water. That’s not the case for reverse-osmosis filtration systems, for example, which do remove fluoride. If you happen to have one of these, let your child’s doctor or dentist know so your cutie can get the cavity protection she needs from other sources.
What should you do for kids who don’t have fluoride in their tap water?
If you’ve learned that your town’s tap water doesn’t contain fluoride, ask the pediatrician or your tot’s dentist whether you should buy fluoridated water for your child or if fluoride drops, vitamins or a mouth rinse are recommended in her particular case.[5]
According to the AAP, babies under 6 months should not be given a fluoride supplement, but ask your pediatrician if your older child would benefit from a fluoride multivitamin or tablet.
What is dental fluorosis?
While fluoride is completely safe for children, getting too much of it can lead to a condition known as dental fluorosis, which affects the appearance of the tooth’s enamel and tends to look like small white spots on the teeth.
Dental fluorosis occurs before the age of 8 when the teeth are forming below the gums, and the best way to fight and prevent it is to encourage your child to spit out excess toothpaste foam after brushing.
Much of the time, fluorosis can only be spotted by the dentist, and the vast majority of kids and adults who get this condition have a mild case.
The condition is mostly cosmetic in nature and there aren’t any health concerns that accompany it, but you can always ask your child’s doctor or dentist if you have questions.
What should you do if your child swallows fluoride toothpaste?
Try not to worry if your tot swallows some fluoride toothpaste while brushing. The truth is, if you’re using the recommended (tiny) amounts by age, and you’re also helping your tot wield the brush, the amount ingested is likely to be very little. And know that the benefits of using fluoride paste every day far outweigh the risk of swallowing a tiny bit.
Fluoride toothpaste and fluoridated water are the safest and best ways to protect your child’s precious teeth from sticky plaque and decay. Strive to help your child brush her teeth properly and regularly so that her smile shines brightly and her mouth stays healthy for years to come.
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