Permanent teeth of children affected by the developmental and aesthetic defect FLUOROSIS as a result of swallowing high fluoride toothpaste when they were toddlers. High blood fluoride levels in young children leads to FLUOROSIS of permanent tooth enamel.
Preventive Dental Care Systems has collaborated with an Australian pharmaceutical company to produce new children’s toothpastes that can prevent dental decay, reduce plaque build-up (the cause of gum inflammation – gingivitis), and protect against FLUOROSIS (refer to clinical photos).
The new Australian-made toothpastes with VERY LOW FLUORIDE contrast with HIGHER FLUORIDE toothpastes manufactured for Macleans, Colgate, Oral-B, IGA, and Woolworths in Thailand, China, South Africa and elsewhere and used by many Australian children. HIGH FLUORIDE toothpastes carry a FLUOROSIS risk for children’s permanent teeth.
As well as being safer for children because of protection against fluorosis, LITTLE KIDS and BIG KIDS toothpastes contain a high level of a naturally-occurring antibacterial compound XYLITOL that can detach decay-causing bacteria from tooth surfaces – thereby stopping decay from starting.
LITTLE KIDS toothpaste can be expected to alter the views of dentists who advise parents not to start toothpaste use until their child is aged 18 months. These dentists are concerned because children’s toothpastes* labelled ‘low fluoride’ or ‘specially formulated’ may pose a risk for FLUOROSIS if they contain 500 ppm F – which is in fact high fluoride. LITTLE KIDS contains just 50 ppm F to protect against FLUOROSIS, plus natural XYLITOL to attack decay-causing bacteria. Cleaning infants’ primary teeth with LITTLE KIDS toothpaste as these new teeth emerge into the mouth is a very important step in the New Preventive Dental Care.
Because permanent teeth continue to develop in the jaws after age 5 years, older children should use BIG KIDS toothpaste with LOW FLUORIDE (250 ppm F) to provide further protection against FLUOROSIS. The new children’s toothpastes are sold online by PDC Systems – click on
Comment by a mother from Grasmere, Victoria “I will never buy toothpaste other than LITTLE KIDS with ultra-low fluoride for my young child; once you know better, you can’t pretend you don’t”
* In the 1990’s, the European standard for children’s LOW FLUORIDE toothpaste was set at 250 parts fluoride per million parts toothpaste (weight and volume). Most manufacturers have since increased fluoride levels in their children’s toothpastes above 250 ppm F to a point where the EXCESS FLUORIDE poses a very high risk for FLUOROSIS. Australian parents visiting the United Kingdom need to be aware that children’s toothpastes made by ‘major’ companies and sold in UK pharmacies and supermarkets contain VERY HIGH FLUORIDE LEVELS – 1000 ppm F to 1450 ppm F – levels that have been confirmed in clinical trials to cause FLUOROSIS. Parents visiting or living in the UK are strongly advised NOT to buy children’s toothpastes made for Macleans, Colgate, Oral-B, Tesco, & Sainsburys because of their exceedingly high fluoride levels known to cause FLUOROSIS. It is irresponsible on the part of manufacturers and retailers to offer such toothpastes for use by children. In Australia, importedchildren’s toothpastes have the following fluoride levels: Colgate JUNIOR with sugar acid neutraliser (from Poland) 1450 ppm F; Macleans little teeth (from South Africa) 1000 ppm F; Macleans Big teeth (South Africa) 1350 ppm F); Woolworths KIDS toothpaste (China) 500 ppm F; IGA Signature kids toothpaste (China) 500 ppm F; ORAL-B Stages (Europe) 500 ppm F; Colgate My First (Thailand) 500 ppm F.; Colgate Dora the Explorer (Thailand) 500 ppm F; Colgate Spiderman (Thailand) 1000 ppm F (recommended by Colgate for older children); baby & toddler toothpaste (Ireland) 500 ppm F; this toothpaste contains a small amount of xylitol (10%) which does NOT have a significant effect on decay-causing bacteria. In contrast, LITTLE KIDS and BIG KIDS toothpastes have much higher levels of natural xylitol which have been shown in clinical and laboratory testing to significantly lower levels of mutans streptococci (dental plaque bacteria which cause enamel decay). While there is no doubt that when used byyoung children, toothpastes with 1000 to 1350 ppm F carry a very high risk for FLUOROSIS, limited data is available for risks associated with toothpaste containing 500 ppm F; one study conducted in the UK showed FLUOROSIS in children using a toothpaste with 550 ppm F. A disturbing feature of ‘recommended usage’ displayed on tubes of some ADULT toothpastes with ‘maximum fluoride’ sold in Australia is the inference that the adult toothpaste can be used in children if a ‘pea sized’ amount is used. This is bad advice and POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS because ‘pea-sized’ amounts containing 1500 ppm F will be swallowed by young children and cause severe FLUOROSIS of developing permanent teeth.
