Excerpt

FLUORIDE TOOTHPASTE

After the first tooth erupts, a little bit of fluoride for infants is important for promoting dental health, Altmann said.

“We used to recommend just brushing with plain water or fluoride-free toothpaste until children could spit on their own. The more recent guidelines (dating to 2014) are to use just a tiny, tiny smear of fluoride, like the size of a grain of rice, on your baby’s toothbrush,” she said.

Toddlers likely still need help brushing properly, Altmann noted. For young preschool or school-age children, parents battling the me-do-myself saga might let a child brush on their own in the morning under supervision but more actively assist at night.

The AAP and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry now agree on minute amounts of fluoride for babies, she said.

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