When should children start fluoride toothpaste?
When should children start fluoride toothpaste?
Published: March 02. 2008 6:00AM
Q My 18-month-old takes daily vitamins with fluoride. I give her bottled water, not water from our faucet. Does she need to drink water with fluoride? When do we start toothpaste with fluoride?
A Vitamin supplements with fluoride are given to children beginning at 6 months old, Kosinski said. Three different dosages are recommended, depending on the child's age, said Dr. Ron Kosinski, chief of pediatric dentistry at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park.
From 6 months to the third birthday, children should take vitamins with 0.25 milligrams of fluoride in a liquid form, Kosinski said. From the third to the sixth birthdays, they should take 0.5 milligrams in a chewable vitamin tablet. On the sixth birthday, that chewable tablet amount is increased to one full milligram and should be taken until the child's 12-year molars come in. That age varies but is usually about 14, Kosinski said.
One caveat: Don't give the supplements at the same time your child will be drinking milk; leave at least an hour in between. Otherwise, the fluoride will bind to the milk and not enter the system correctly, Kosinski said.
Some companies, such as Dannon and Nestlé, sell bottled water with fluoride. It's not necessary for children to drink that if they are taking a fluoride supplement, Kosinski said.
There are two types of fluoride: systemic, which the child swallows via vitamins and water; and topical, which is in toothpaste or fluoride rinses, Kosinski explained. Systemic fluoride protects developing teeth, Kosinski said, while topical fluoride protects the teeth that have already emerged from the gums.
That said, as for toothpaste with fluoride, children should start using that as soon as the first tooth erupts. Use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, and supervise your child during brushing until the child is old enough to know not to swallow the toothpaste.
Some companies sell a topical fluoride rinse that the child swishes around the mouth. These, added after brushing, protect teeth as well, but again, make sure the child only swishes and then spits out, Kosinski said. Like mouthwash, the fluoride rinses -- even though some come in flavors such as bubble gum -- aren't meant to be swallowed.
Need help with a parenting question? E-mail LIKids@newsday.com; put Parenting Q&A in the subject line. You can reach us by mail at LI Kids/Parenting Q&A, Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Road, Melville, NY 11747. Include your name, town, e-mail address and daytime phone number.
That seems to be a lot of fluoride
Published: March 02. 2008 6:00AM
Q My 18-month-old takes daily vitamins with fluoride. I give her bottled water, not water from our faucet. Does she need to drink water with fluoride? When do we start toothpaste with fluoride?
A Vitamin supplements with fluoride are given to children beginning at 6 months old, Kosinski said. Three different dosages are recommended, depending on the child's age, said Dr. Ron Kosinski, chief of pediatric dentistry at Schneider Children's Hospital in New Hyde Park.
From 6 months to the third birthday, children should take vitamins with 0.25 milligrams of fluoride in a liquid form, Kosinski said. From the third to the sixth birthdays, they should take 0.5 milligrams in a chewable vitamin tablet. On the sixth birthday, that chewable tablet amount is increased to one full milligram and should be taken until the child's 12-year molars come in. That age varies but is usually about 14, Kosinski said.
One caveat: Don't give the supplements at the same time your child will be drinking milk; leave at least an hour in between. Otherwise, the fluoride will bind to the milk and not enter the system correctly, Kosinski said.
Some companies, such as Dannon and Nestlé, sell bottled water with fluoride. It's not necessary for children to drink that if they are taking a fluoride supplement, Kosinski said.
There are two types of fluoride: systemic, which the child swallows via vitamins and water; and topical, which is in toothpaste or fluoride rinses, Kosinski explained. Systemic fluoride protects developing teeth, Kosinski said, while topical fluoride protects the teeth that have already emerged from the gums.
That said, as for toothpaste with fluoride, children should start using that as soon as the first tooth erupts. Use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, and supervise your child during brushing until the child is old enough to know not to swallow the toothpaste.
Some companies sell a topical fluoride rinse that the child swishes around the mouth. These, added after brushing, protect teeth as well, but again, make sure the child only swishes and then spits out, Kosinski said. Like mouthwash, the fluoride rinses -- even though some come in flavors such as bubble gum -- aren't meant to be swallowed.
Need help with a parenting question? E-mail LIKids@newsday.com; put Parenting Q&A in the subject line. You can reach us by mail at LI Kids/Parenting Q&A, Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Road, Melville, NY 11747. Include your name, town, e-mail address and daytime phone number.
That seems to be a lot of fluoride
posted by Bill at
9:23 AM
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