Excessive use of toothpaste in children causes tooth decay: study

New York: A new study warns many young children who use toothpaste more than necessary to have an increased risk of dental fluorosis when they get older. Fluorosis is a disease that affects teeth due to overexposure to fluoride during the first eight years of life.

Fluoride is a mineral found in water and soil. More than 70 years ago, scientists discovered that people whose drinking water naturally had more fluoride also had fewer cavities. This has led to the addition of fluoride to tap water, toothpaste, mouthwash and other products.

However, the study showed that when teeth are formed, too much fluoride can lead to streaking, staining, or dental fluorosis.

In addition, the study found that although experts recommend a pea-sized volume, about 40% of children ages three to six used a full or half-filled toothpaste brush. Mary Hayes, a pediatric dentist in Chicago, was quoted by the Daily Mail.

For the study, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers included parents of more than 5,000 children aged 3 to 15 years.

Although researchers did not determine the number of children with streaked or spotted teeth as a result of too much toothpaste, they recommended to children under three years old that 39, only use a smear of toothpaste the size of a grain of rice, reported Daily Mail.

Children aged three to six should keep it to the size of a pea. Young children can push for independence by brushing their teeth, but the children's toothpaste has a sweet taste, according to the team. Hayes noted.