The European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry's Board and Council have increased the fluoride dose recommended in their guidelines for children's toothpaste, the organization announced.
Though the guidelines have not yet been made public, the Irish Times newspaper reported that the academy now recommends that toothpaste fluoride levels targeted at children age 6 months to 2 years should have a 500 parts per million (ppm) fluoride concentration. The level should be 1,000 ppm for children ages 2 to 6 years and 1,450 ppm for those older than 6 years.
Dental professionals should also recommend that children younger than 6 years use only a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, and that children older than 6 years use an amount no larger than 1-2 cm, the paper reported.
Previously, the academy had recommended the following:
|
||||||||||||||||
By contrast, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that parents "should be counseled on their child's caries risk" and choose the amount and concentration of fluoride accordingly. It says that a "smear" of fluoridated toothpaste might decrease the fluorosis risk for children under 2, while a "pea-size" amount is "appropriate" for children ages 2 through 5.
Copyright © 2009 DrBicuspid.com
