February 10, 2014
Article courtesy of the ADA
ADA Uses Fluoride Toothpaste to Fight High
Cavity Rate in Children
CHICAGO, Feb. 10, 2014 — To fight
cavities in children, the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Council on
Scientific Affairs (CSA) is updating its guidance to caregivers that they
should brush their children’s teeth
with fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first tooth comes in. This new guidance
expands the use of fluoride toothpaste for young children.
To help prevent children’s tooth decay, the
CSA recommends that caregivers use a smear of fluoride toothpaste (or an amount
about the size of a grain of rice) for children younger than 3 years old and a
pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste for children 3 to 6 years old.
"For half a century, the ADA has
recommended that patients use fluoride toothpaste
to prevent cavities, and a review of scientific research shows that this holds
true for all ages," said Edmond L. Truelove, D.D.S., chair of the
Council on Scientific Affairs. "Approximately 25 percent of children have
or had cavities before entering kindergarten, so it’s important to provide
guidance to caregivers on the appropriate use of fluoride toothpaste to help
prevent their children from developing cavities."
Dental
decay is the most common chronic childhood
disease with more than 16 million children suffering from untreated tooth decay
in the U.S, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Oral disease
causes children to miss 51 million school hours and their parents to lose 25
million work hours annually. Additionally, oral disease disproportionately
affects children from low-income families and these children have almost twice
the number of decayed teeth that have not been treated by a dentist as compared
to others in the general population.
CSA previously recommended using water to
brush the teeth of children younger than 2 years old and to brush the teeth of
children 2 to 6 years old with a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste. CSA
updated the ADA’s guidance based on a review of scientific evidence.
The report, "Fluoride toothpaste use
for young children," and the results of the systematic review,
"Fluoride toothpaste efficacy and safety in children younger than 6
years," are published in the February 2014 issue of The Journal of the
American Dental Association.
The new guidance is intended to provide
children with the full benefit of cavity protection while limiting their risk
of developing fluorosis, which is a mild discoloration of teeth usually appearing
as faint lines. Based on a systematic review of the evidence, CSA concluded
that using just a "smear" of toothpaste for children younger than 3
years old and a pea-size amount for children 3 to 6 years helps prevent
cavities and is less likely to cause fluorosis. Children should spit out
toothpaste as soon as they are old enough to do so.
About
the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's
largest dental association, representing 157,000 dentist members. The premier
source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's
health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's
state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and
materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient
experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable
and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The
Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship
publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more
information about the ADA, visit www.ada.org.
For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment
of dental disease, visit the ADA’s consumer website www.MouthHealthy.org.
