Most toothpastes carry health warning: unfit for use by kids
Most toothpastes carry health warning: unfit for use by kids
Aug 16, 2011 | Age Correspondent| Hyderabad.
The next time you buy toothpaste, make sure to read the fineprint on the box, particularly if you have children below 12 years at home. This is because toothpaste, though it seems quite harmless, carries a health warning for children.
A reading of the fineprint will reveal that most toothpaste brands are not meant for children below six years of age and some are not recommended for children up to 12 years. It is better to choose toothpastes exclusively meant for children, but even these caution that they are not meant for children below five years.
“We take it for granted that toothpaste is for the entire family. But in most cases it is not so. The type of toothpaste we choose should depend on the quantum of the dental problem we suffer. Certain toothpastes are not meant for children who do not know how to spit out the excess paste and tend to swallow it. Toothpastes containing chemicals cause mineralisation and they are absorbed by body. There should always be adult supervision if toothpaste is used for small children,” says Dr M. Rahmatullah, chairman of the Indian Academy for Advanced Dental Education.
According to him, children below six years may be given a “pea size” quantity of toothpaste and not the usual “two centimetre” quantity. Moreover, brushing should always be under adult supervision and the children should be made to spit out the toothpaste.
Dr Rahmatullah also cautions that toothpaste containing fluoride and meant for sensitive teeth or whitening teeth should not be given to children.....
Aug 16, 2011 | Age Correspondent| Hyderabad.
The next time you buy toothpaste, make sure to read the fineprint on the box, particularly if you have children below 12 years at home. This is because toothpaste, though it seems quite harmless, carries a health warning for children.
A reading of the fineprint will reveal that most toothpaste brands are not meant for children below six years of age and some are not recommended for children up to 12 years. It is better to choose toothpastes exclusively meant for children, but even these caution that they are not meant for children below five years.
“We take it for granted that toothpaste is for the entire family. But in most cases it is not so. The type of toothpaste we choose should depend on the quantum of the dental problem we suffer. Certain toothpastes are not meant for children who do not know how to spit out the excess paste and tend to swallow it. Toothpastes containing chemicals cause mineralisation and they are absorbed by body. There should always be adult supervision if toothpaste is used for small children,” says Dr M. Rahmatullah, chairman of the Indian Academy for Advanced Dental Education.
According to him, children below six years may be given a “pea size” quantity of toothpaste and not the usual “two centimetre” quantity. Moreover, brushing should always be under adult supervision and the children should be made to spit out the toothpaste.
Dr Rahmatullah also cautions that toothpaste containing fluoride and meant for sensitive teeth or whitening teeth should not be given to children.....
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