After American Dental Association changed their guidelines a
few years ago, parents seem to wonder whether fluoride toothpaste is good for
their kids. ADA kept suggesting parents for many years to give their children fluoride
after 2 years of age. However, the announcement made in February 2014 suggested
the provision of fluoride to children as soon as they start getting their first
teeth erupting. Now, one may wonder why ADA changed their mind after so many
years.
Is fluoride bad for
the kids’ teeth?
For those who do not know what fluoride can do for dental
health, it is an active element which provides great support to the tooth
structure by strengthening tooth enamel. In fact, fluoride can stop and even
reverse the process of tooth decay in some cases.
We usually get fluoride from drinking water, but not all
people want to drink that fluoridated water. So, they prefer drinking bottled
water which is not fluoridated.
It is a general recommendation by ADA to brush children’s
teeth and bring them to dental visits as soon as they turn 1. However, most of
the parents remain uneducated in this regard.
ADA changed its recommendation for the fluoride use in
children in 2014. After this recommendation, the ADA instructions are now
compatible with those of American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, who have been
suggesting the application of fluoride as soon as first primary tooth erupts.
This recommendation was issued with the hope to control the
occurrence of tooth decay and cavities in young children. ADA also recommends
parents to make their children spit out the toothpaste after two minutes of
brushing. The reason is that long exposure of teeth to fluoride can lead to the
development of another issue which is known as fluorosis. Fluorosis is the
condition associated with change of color of tooth enamel due to its exposure
to fluoride. Although it is quite difficult to make a child spit out the
toothpaste, this action needs to be enforced.
What needs to be
done?
You may wonder if fluoride is bad for your kid. First, you
need to understand the fact that children need to have good dental health right
from the start even though their first teeth are going to come out. However,
there are several years they would need to live with those primary teeth.
Therefore, you have to make sure that you are doing everything to avoid tooth
decay and cavities even in those primary teeth.
As far as the use of fluoride is concerned, the key to make
the fluoride use a success is to maintain a balance, i.e. you have to make sure
that you are giving enough amount of fluoride to your kids to prevent tooth
decay but this amount needs to be less than what can result in fluorosis and
other issues.
For further guidance, you need to visit your dentist regularly.
If possible, you can get appointment from pediatric dentist to deal with the
issue.
