The dosage of fluoride toothpaste for children should be reduced as appropriate

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This post was last edited by cflt111 on 2015-10-14 at 18:54. As early as 1938, it was discovered that fluorine could prevent tooth decay. In the 1940s, the United States was the first to add fluoride to toothpaste to prevent dental caries. Currently, there are three types of fluoride toothpastes commonly available on the market: sodium fluoride toothpaste, stannous fluoride toothpaste, and sodium monofluorophosphate toothpaste. Fluoride toothpaste is now widely used; in developed markets, its sales account for over 90% of the total toothpaste sales. In our country’s market, fluoride toothpaste accounts for 50% to 60%. The World Health Organization has analyzed more than 100 clinical trials, which show that fluoride toothpaste can reduce the incidence of new dental caries by 20% to 30%, with even more significant effects when used over a long period of time. Some people have raised questions about whether the use of fluoride toothpaste can be harmful to the human body Experts believe that using fluoride toothpaste under normal circumstances is harmless to the human body. However, children living in areas affected by endemic fluorosis (chronic fluorosis caused by high levels of fluoride in water and coal, such as dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis) should use it with caution. Since the permanent teeth of 6-year-old children are not yet fully developed, they may swallow some toothpaste while brushing their teeth due to an underdeveloped swallowing mechanism, and excessive fluoride intake can lead to fluorosis. What should children pay attention to when using fluoride toothpaste? Children under 6 years old may ingest some toothpaste while brushing, which can lead to higher fluoride intake; therefore, children under 6 should use toothpaste containing fluoride in a pea-sized amount for brushing their teeth ； >Children over 6 years old can use fluoride toothpaste in the normal way. There is no problem of fluorosis caused by the use of fluoride toothpaste in adolescents and adults. Yet some people are concerned that although the amount of fluoride absorbed into the body when using fluoride toothpaste is small, it can still lead to fluorosis over time. Research shows that the vast majority of fluoride consumed by the human body can be metabolized or excreted through urine, with fluoride excreted in urine accounting for about 75% of the total amount excreted. The rapid excretion of fluoride provides protection for the human body. Fluoride toothpastes contain very low levels of fluoride; after brushing, most of it can be spit out, and the remaining amount can be excreted through urine, so it does not cause fluorosis. Since the method of preventing tooth decay using fluoride toothpaste is easy to promote and its effectiveness in preventing tooth decay is reliable, for adults – except those living in areas affected by endemic fluorosis – it is safe to use fluoride toothpaste regardless of whether they are in areas with low fluoride levels, moderate fluoride levels, or high fluoride levels. Therefore, fluoride toothpaste can be used with confidence.