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Overusing toothpaste or other sources of fluoride in very young
children can be quite detrimental.
Intake of excess fluoride -- whether through toothpaste, fluoridated
water, fluoride supplements, or a combination of these -- can cause
a condition in children known as dental fluorosis, which results
in an unsightly discoloration of the teeth. While fluorosis can
be treated by bleaching the teeth, the best method is to avoid the
condition in the first place.
The condition is particularly a problem in children under age
6, whose permanent teeth are developing even though they have not
yet erupted through the gums.
For the children from non-fluoridated areas, most fluorosis is
attributable to excess fluoride supplement use, brushing more than
once a day with a fluoride toothpaste during the first 2 years of
life, and using more than a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
Additionally, these children were born prior to 1994, when guidelines
for fluoride supplementation were higher, which means that rates
of fluorosis could be increasing further.
Journal of the American Dental
Association 2000;131:746-754.
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