American Dental Association Advocates Giving Fluoride To Children Earlier
The American Dental Association is calling for fluoride to be given to children earlier.
The ADA had suggested providing children with fluoride toothpaste to clean their teeth by the age of six years old; however, recently representatives from the organisation advocated giving children fluoride toothpaste much earlier. The ADA now recommends giving children small amounts of fluoride toothpaste as soon as they develop their first teeth.
Dr Edmond Truelove, chairman of the Council on Scientific Affairs at the American Dental Association, said that giving children fluoride toothpaste from an early age can help to reduce the rate of decay. Research shows that around 25 per cent of young children have cavities before they reach kindergarten age and using fluoride is one means of reducing the risk of decay.
ADA standards recommend using a very small amount of fluoride toothpaste for children under the age of 6 years old, similar to the size of a grain of rice.
The move comes in light of the publication of a new study in the Journal of the American Dental Association, which shows that fluoride has significant benefits for preventing decay.
The study also found that using pea-sized amounts of toothpaste can contribute to an increased risk of fluorosis in cases where the toothpaste is ingested and new guidelines state that children under the age of 3 years old should use a smaller amount. The ADA has also encouraged parents to supervise teeth cleaning to ensure that children spit out toothpaste, rather than swallowing it.
More discussion on fluoride is expected, as it is a subject, which has become extremely contentious in communities across America. Dentists and public health experts tend to support the use of fluoride, while anti-fluoride campaigners feel that there are issues with the potential implications of consuming fluoridated water. Many people also believe that people should have the choice of whether they consume fluoridated water or not.
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