Parents warned about giving children too much fluoride
Amid high-profile cases around the world of communities deciding to withdraw or reduce the amount of fluoride in the water supply, parents are being warned to make sure their young children are not getting too much of the plaque preventing substance.
Too much fluoride can cause a condition called fluorosis in young children, the symptoms of which are white patches and streaks on the surface of the teeth.
Fluorosis can only occur in children under the age of 8, as once the teeth have emerged from below the gum line, they are fully formed and will no longer be affected by excess levels of fluoride.
If parents are concerned about the amount of fluoride that their children are being exposed to, then they should check with the local council or health board as to whether the water supply contains it and if so, how much. Health experts recommend that if the level is above 2 milligrams per litre, then bottled water should be used for young children instead. If the amount is below that level, then parents might want to consider alternative sources of fluoride such as oral hygiene products.
Parents should also control the amount of fluoride their children use in oral hygiene products, monitoring the type of toothpaste they use, and how much they use, closely. Young children should not be trusted to out their own toothpaste on the brush, as very young children only need a pea-sized amount each time they clean their teeth. Check with your dentist whether it is OK to use fluoride toothpaste in children under the age of 2.
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