Facts on Children's Toothpaste

Everyone knows fluoride is important for healthy teeth, but few know the dangers of ingesting too much. While key public health agencies recommend the use of fluoride to protect children's teeth from decay, it's important for parents to keep close watch over its administration.

Lethal Dose

• The minimum lethal dose of fluoride is considered to be 5 mg per each kilogram of body weight, according to the Fluoride Action Network. In the US, most tubes of children's fluoride toothpaste contain enough fluoride to severely poison a child who weighs up to 62 lbs. if the whole tube is ingested.

Harmful Effects

• Excessive toothpaste use by children under the age of 8 can result in the development of fluorosis in the form of small white specks on the teeth or more severe discoloration and roughness.

Toxicity

• The Fluoride Action Network reports that U.S. poison control centers receive thousands of calls each year due to fluoride poisoning. Early symptoms include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, fever and excessive saliva. In rare cases, cardiac failure can occur. In 1994, poison control centers fielded 3,369 reports of possible toothpaste poisoning, although only one death occurred, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers.

Expert Insight

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that children need fluoride toothpaste to prevent cavities. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that fluoride toothpaste not be used until the age of 2 to 3.

Prevention/Solution

• Children's toothpaste should be placed on the brush in an amount roughly the size of a pea. In addition, keep toothpaste out of reach of small children and supervise children up to age 6 while they brush their teeth to make sure the toothpaste is being spit out.