Dentifrices with fluoride in childhood. Recommendations

• The usage of fluoridated dentifrices is the method most recommended for the prevention of dental caries (topical effect and social acceptance).
• In relation to the concentration of F, the fluoridated pastes haven not any contraindication in adult because his local action local.
  • Therefore, it is assumed that a child less than 5 years, with two daily brushings, can ingest 1 gr. of dental paste every day .So, for prevent dental fluorosis, we must know the concentration of F of dentifrice in childhood . We can calculate the concentration in ppm of fluoride by this easy formula:

• We have calculated the concentration of F in Spanish dentifrices

  Parents of very young children should be advised to squeeze only a pea-sized amount of paste on a brush and assist the child in brushing to minimize the amount of fluoride ingested from this source and avoid the possibility of dental fluorosis.

  According to European Academy for Pediatric Dentistry for children between 6 months and 2 years we need use paste with a "small concentration of fluoride”. Between 2 and 6 years ,dentifrice must have less than 500 ppm of fluoride After 6 years,the paste must contain 1000 to 1.450 ppm of fluoride.

* Marks LA,Martens LC.Utilisation du fluor chez les enfants:recommendations de l´European Academy for Paediatric Dentistry. Rev Belg Med Dent 1998; 53:318-324