Fluoride offers many oral health benefits. This mineral helps strengthen tooth enamel to ward off cavity development and enamel erosion. One type of fluoride, stannous fluoride, even offers additional antibacterial benefits that help ward off gum disease.
However, if you have a young child, you need to take steps to ensure they don't overuse and/or over-consume fluoride to avoid a condition called dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis is more common than many parents realize. In fact, almost one-quarter of all Americans ages 6 to 49 suffer from dental fluorosis, although many cases are mild.
Read on to learn more about dental fluorosis and how to avoid its development in your child.
What to Know About Dental Flourosis
Dental fluorosis occurs when children overuse fluoride-containing oral hygiene products and/or consume too much fluoride when permanent teeth are developing under the gum line. Permanent teeth typically complete development around the age of eight, even though they have not all yet emerged.
Dental fluorosis can range from very mild to severe. Very mild cases may lead to the appearance of small, chalky-looking white marks or streaks on the front and/or backs of teeth. This discoloration may or may not be noticeable to the eye. However, as fluorosis becomes more severe, tooth enamel can begin to turn yellow or brown and/or become thin and pitted.
Unfortunately, dental fluorosis cannot be reversed once it develops. Current treatments simply mask the appearance of this condition. However, you can take steps to prevent the development of this condition in your child.
How to Help Your Child Avoid Dental Fluorosis
You should never completely remove fluoride from your child's oral hygiene routine or completely eliminate fluoride-containing tap water from your child's diet in an attempt to prevent dental fluorosis. Allowing your child to use and/or consume some fluoride-containing products or water will help them develop healthy, strong tooth enamel.
Instead, follow these tips to help moderate your child's fluoride use and consumption.
Choose Fluoride-Free Toothpaste for Children Under Two
Children under the age of two typically swallow toothpaste left on their teeth after brushing, so ensure your young child's toothpaste is fluoride-free or brush their teeth with water only. Not only can consumption of too much fluoride at this young age quickly lead to flourosis development, but young children who consume too much fluoride can also develop fluoride poisoning.
Limit Fluoride-filled Toothpaste Your Older Children
Have your child brush with just a smear of toothpaste when they are between the ages of two and three. Then, have them use just a pea-sized dollop of toothpaste until the age of 8.
No child needs more toothpaste than this to clean their small mouth and teeth well, and limiting the amount of toothpaste you place on your child's brush limits the amount of fluoride they swallow if they do happen to accidentally swallow the paste.
Skip the Fluoride Mouth Rinse Until Age 6
Small children are prone to swallowing fluoride mouth rinses by accident or simply because they taste good. Do not have your child use a fluoride mouth rinse until they are at least the age of six unless your dentist recommends introducing one before this age to improve your child's dental health.
Check the Fluoride Content of Your Tap Water
Fluoride is often added to municipal water supply to help keep everyone's teeth healthy. In addition, well water can contain fluoride. To help prevent dental fluorosis in your child, check the fluoride content of your tap or well water to ensure it does not have a fluoride content of more than 2 mg/l.
Dental professionals have found that children who routinely consume water with a higher fluoride concentration are more prone to fluorosis development than children who consume tap water that contains less fluoride.
If you find out that your tap water does contain more than 2 mg/l, then speak to your child's dentist to determine if you should start providing your child bottled water or a mix of tap and bottled water instead of your tap water.
Follow these tips to avoid the development of dental fluorosis in your child. Contact the dental experts at Milner Dentistry to schedule your child's next dental exam today.