Which toothpaste is right for dental care for children?

Generally children under 6 years of age are encouraged to use a smear of junior toothpaste with a low concentration of fluoride (400ppm) on the brush. These toothpastes were developed for optimum dental care for children because young children tend to swallow the paste and in low concentrations a smear of this toothpaste is unlikely to cause mottling of the tooth enamel in the permanent teeth that is called fluorosis.

Once children reach 6 years of age it is usual to move to an adult strength toothpaste (1000ppm). Again only a smear of paste is needed for effective dental care for kids.

After brushing encourage your children to spit out the excess paste but it is not necessary to rinse the mouth. The left over paste can be left in the mouth to soak back into weakened tooth structure, helping to stop any early cavities.

If your child does not like the taste or texture of toothpaste at least brush the teeth to remove the plaque. There are some new products available that are based on milk proteins and Dr Kylie may recommend these as an alternative for your child. “Tooth Mousse” comes in 2 varieties (without fluoride and with fluoride) and has a creamy feel in the mouth.

Most children complain about the “hot or spicy” toothpaste and “Tooth Mousse” offers protective kids dental care benefits that can outweigh regular toothpaste. Baby and kids dentist, Dr Kylie may recommend these products to you as an alternative after meeting your child and assessing their needs.

For more kids dental care advice, please contact our child dentists in Buderim.