Dentist Group Questions Toothpaste Advice

Dentist Group Questions Toothpaste Advice

Calls for all children to use adult strength toothpaste should be accompanied by better public information about the health risks, according to the independent dental fluoride advisory group FIND.

“Studies show up to 70% of the toothpaste ends up getting swallowed,
and this can easily push a child’s fluoride levels over recommended daily upper safe limits.

The whole reason toothpaste companies developed half strength fluoride toothpastes for children in the first place was to reduce the risk of harm.
The health warnings on the back of toothpaste packets confirm that fluoride toxicity is a real concern.

We estimate that a 3 year old kiwi kid in a fluoridated area and following health department advice would be swallowing 3 times the recommended upper limit of fluoride daily.

“Parents want to do what's best for their kids, especially in their vulnerable developmental stage, and they should be getting unbiased and full information from health officials and other dentists groups like the NZDA. We do not believe they are informing parents properly about the health risks associated with swallowing fluoride.

“As responsible health professionals, it concerns us that many of the people we are seeing in our clinics have got no idea of how much fluoride they are taking in and how this can affect their health. The basic principle of medicine is that when we prescribe any drug, we have to weigh up the benefits against the risks and calculate the correct dosage and fluoride should be considered the same way,” says FIND spokesman, Dr. Stan Litras.

ENDS

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