Fluoride For Babies

[maple]

Hi, my baby is 10 months old this month. He has now 4 tooth and 2 more coming out.

We live in Bangkok.

Does anyone know whether I should start brushing his teeth with fluoride toothpaste or not?

Thanks!

[matcube]

Here is my understanding, but opinions vary even among pediatricians:

- the MAIN purpose of having a child brush is to get the habit. It's rare that they will have rotten teeth before they change them, unless you are completely careless about it.

- flouride toothpase is not recommended before you are sure the kid won't eat it.

- some (most?) pediatrician recommend flouride supplement tablets from 4 months onwards. We did some research on the net and decided not to give any.

- we started brushing our kids consistently (morning and night) with child-like toothpaste from about age 2 onwards. Before that we let them play with the brush; they love it and as soon as they see you do it, they want to do it too. Our oldest one is now 5, has all the teeth and are in excellent shape; she will be changing them withing 2-4 years and I am sure this set won't have a problem. She has developed the habit to keep good care of the next set, which is the most important one.

[maple]

thank you for the advice!

[H2oDunc]

In some countries it is classed as a carcinagen and is banned. I found this article for you and is well worth researching more for piece of mind.

The Toxic Toothpaste

The Times (London)

May 15, 2001

The toxic toothpaste

Fluoride is good for teeth but it can also be harmful

By Simon Crompton

Like most parents, Beverly Cooke encouraged her daughter Alysia to use fluoride toothpaste. From the age of 18 months Alysia’s tooth-cleaning was supervised, and she never used more than the recommended pea-sized amount of toothpaste.

At nine, Alysia started to have leg pains, flu-like symptoms and constant headaches. Her condition mystified specialists until a doctor at an orthopaedic clinic noticed her teeth were mottled brown. He suspected dental fluorosis, a condition caused by over-exposure to fluoride that can cause crumbling of the enamel and permanent damage to teeth.

Tests revealed high levels of fluoride in Alysia’s system, even though she lived in the Gower Peninsula in Wales, an area with unfluoridated water. As soon as she stopped using fluoride toothpaste her symptoms disappeared and now, aged 11, she has problems only if she visits areas where the water is fluoridated.

Alysia’s extreme sensitivity is rare but, according to the latest evidence, side-effects from fluoride exposure are not. A government-commissioned study has revealed that 48 per cent of children who drink fluoridated water show signs of fluorosis.

Campaigners and parents are increasingly angry that the risks are not better publicised. In America, they point out, there is a mandatory warning on every tube of fluoridated toothpaste: “In case of accidental ingestion, seek professional assistance or contact a poison centre immediately.”

Why are British consumers not given this information?

Tony Lees, from Herefordshire, a dentist for 40 years, believes that fluoride should be banned from toothpastes and water. The marginal benefit it displays for teeth does not outweigh its general dangers, he says.

“In the scale of toxicity, fluorides fall between arsenic and lead,” he says. “Dental fluorosis is not just a cosmetic problem, but the visible sign of chronic fluoride poisoning, and children are more vulnerable than adults.”

Anyone overdosing on fluoride, he says, is in danger of developing chronic skeletal fluorosis, which can weaken bones and cause arthritis.

Anti-fluoride campaigners have also pointed to isolated studies and anecdotal evidence indicating that exposure to fluoride may be linked to thyroid problems, bone cancers and hip fractures. “The danger with toothpaste is that large amounts are easily swallowed,” says Lees. “This is made worse for children by manufacturers who give it tempting flavours.” But Lees is a lone voice. Most dentists are convinced that fluoride is good for teeth and that there is no evidence that it does harm — apart from the occasional case of cosmetic dental fluorosis. They point out that in the ten years after fluoride toothpastes were introduced in 1973, dental disease in children fell so dramatically that some dentistry schools had to be closed.

Mike Lennon, the Professor of Dental Public Health at the University of Liverpool and a spokesman for the British Dental Association, acknowledges that until the early Nineties some overenthusiastic parents were encouraging children to use too much fluoride toothpaste. Toothpaste manufacturers were not taking into account the tendency of children under the age of two to swallow everything that goes into their mouths. But now there are “low-dose” toothpastes for children, and he believes families in Britain are better educated about using the right amount.

He thinks that it would be wrong to scare parents by publicising the risk of fluorosis or by putting warnings on tubes. “There is no doubt that fluoride has a huge benefit. The only risk is dental fluorosis, where you would have to swallow very high levels, and I know of no evidence of any risk to health.”

The available evidence on the risks and benefits of fluoride, however, belies the strength of assertion by both professionals and campaigners, making the correct course for parents far from clear. A new government-commissioned study by the University of York on the benefits of water fluoridation has proved only that existing research — supporting its use and warning of its dangers — is of such low quality that it should not dictate policy.

The fact that the British Dental Association receives money from the toothpaste industry for endorsing fluoride-based products, among other things, is hardly likely to inspire confidence. Nor is the organisational quirk which means that toothpaste safety is controlled by the body regulating cosmetics, not medicines.

What everyone agrees on is that parents should try to ensure that their child’s intake of fluoride is controlled. In the 10 per cent of Britain where water is fluoridated, this may mean taking care that a child uses small amounts of a low-dose children’s toothpaste, and steering clear of fluoride mouthwashes and other products containing fluoride.

Professor Lennon advises that it is safe in most areas for children to use a small, pea-sized amount of the family toothpaste twice a day. “You need to take advice from your dentist, who will make an assessment of many factors, including your child’s diet and how assiduously you use toothpaste.”

[torrenova]

Our daughter is 14 months and we use a small brush and a silicone brush which fits over your finger so you can clean their teeth. You can buy them in BigC. Our daughter's teeth came through before she could use the brush herself so we had to clean them for her.

[H2oDunc]

Did you know that the main ingredient in Prozac is sodium flouride 94% ????? That was a big wow to me Ive seen what prozac does to people and they are putting it in the water system. Smacks of mind control and big brother !!!!!!! Scary stuff !!!!!!