Children use too much toothpaste; Here is what the CDC recommends

A new study of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlights the fact that children are consuming too much toothpaste and claims that it could have a detrimental effect when they get older.

The health agency interviewed the parents of more than 5,000 children aged 3 to 15, who were asked how much toothpaste their children used and at the age when they had started brushing his teeth. The CDC found that almost 40% of 3- to 6-year-olds filled or half-filled their brushes, which was more than it should be.

Recommendation on children's toothpaste

Although the CDC recommended that, starting at 2, people should brush their teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, they warned that the amount was extremely important. According to the recommendations of the agency, children under 3 years should only use one grain of rice, while for 3 years and older, they should be the size of a pea.

"The use of fluoride is one of the major factors responsible for decreasing the prevalence and severity of dental caries and tooth decay in the United States," the report says, highlighting the benefits of this mineral but adding that too much could also lead to "visibly detectable changes in the enamel structure, such as discoloration".

Use too much toothpaste

Children who use too much toothpaste could have streaks and spots in their pearly white with age. Because most toothpastes for children have a sweet taste, they can eat.

There are times when kids insist on being independent in brushing their teeth, but Mary Hayes, a pediatric dentist in Chicago, said parents should take care of the amount of toothpaste their kids use.

The CDC also found that nearly 80% of children aged 3 to 15 years had started brushing their teeth later than expected, which is consistent with the growth of the first tooth. Nevertheless, 60% of the children brushed their teeth twice a day.

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