Miami Dental

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Why Should Children Spit their Toothpaste?

When children learn to brush their teeth, it is important for them to know to spit the toothpaste out afterward. People may wonder why that is. The answer is fluorosis, the discoloration of teeth due to excessive fluoride consumption, and we at the dental offices of Ressler, Hirschl, and Lelchuk want our patients to understand more about it.


When children’s teeth are forming, an excessive amount of fluoride can cause staining on a deep level. Fluorosis is not common and most cases are only apparent to dental professionals doing an examination. But in the worst-case scenarios, it can cause teeth to appear brown or to have white web-like patterns on them. Fluoride helps to prevent cavities and dentists commonly apply it to children’s teeth in order to protect them, but a child who swallows their toothpaste is at risk of consuming too much.


When children are learning to brush, parents should emphasize the importance of only using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste and of spitting. Parents also should not give their children fluoride supplements unless instructed to do so by one of the child’s doctors. If the teeth do get stained, the issue is only cosmetic and may be hidden with bonding or veneers.


Dr. Allen Ressler, Dr. Andrew Hirschl, and Dr. Ira Lelchuk operate from two locations. To schedule an appointment at the location at Mount Sinai Medical Center, 4300 Alton Road, Suite 1190, Miami Beach, Florida, 33140, call 305-532-1444. To schedule an appointment at Intracoastal Mall, 3909 NE 163rdSt, Suite 310, North Miami Beach, Florida, 33160, call 305-949-2630. They can also be reached on their website, Miami Dental through a contact form.


 

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