Oral hygiene should begin from an early age. When we speak of oral
hygiene, we invariably speak of toothpaste and toothbrush, but we often neglect
the very fact that kids need a different variety of toothpaste that is low in fluoride
content and other harmful ingredients. In addition to the toothpaste, the brush
must also be specially made for the soft gum of babies. Unlike choosing brushes
that are easy to touch and feel, choosing a baby paste is not as simple as
smelling and tasting it! An average tube of baby paste might contain harmful
levels of fluoride in it, enough to cause damage to the delicate baby gums and
dentures.
Carefully Choosing a Baby Paste
Fluoride is a very important ingredient that helps in the
formation of foam and cleans teeth, but fluoride is not nutritious or tasty or
good for the health, in fact swallowing it regularly over time is known to
cause harm. Having said that, Fluoride helps in keeping teeth strong and cavity
free, therefore we suggest you choose a baby paste that has a very mild amount
of the chemical in it, ideally about 1 milligram in every gram of the paste for
babies less than 3 years old. For kids aged 3 and above, a baby paste slightly
higher in fluoride content is recommended.
Irrespective of the age, always instruct your kid to use little
amounts of the paste. More paste will cause copious amounts of foam which may
be too much for the small oral cavity to hold, and since kids have a propensity
of swallowing everything until the age of 3, excessive paste will end up in
their stomachs.
The Fluoride Confusion
Parents often get confused about over the topic of picking the
right chemicals in baby paste. While some people are of the view that chemicals
such as fluoride is necessary for healthy teeth and it should be present at
least in little amounts in the paste, others are extremely unconvinced about
the chemical’s worth. Baby teeth never stick too long anyway and by the time
kids turn 6 they will have lost and regained most of the existing dentures. The
final set of teeth that appears at the end of the sixth year is what is
believed to stay with the owner for the rest of the life. So the general
opinion among dentist is to skip fluoride or use it in very small proportions
for babies under the age of 4.
And finally, always buy baby paste from a reputed brand for your
tot!
