Children's fluoride toothpaste

From the earliest years, the child should be taught to care for the oral cavity, for this, special toothpastes are used. Choosing them, many parents ask themselves - with or without fluoride? On the one hand, this is a useful product, on the other hand, with its excessive use, serious ailments can develop. How to proceed - we will talk about this in our article.

Fluoride is one of the most important elements that plays a special role in the fight against the destruction of dental tissue. After brushing your teeth with fluoride pastes, the concentration of the trace element in saliva increases for several hours. As a result, an environment is formed in the oral cavity that helps to protect the tooth enamel. But are such conditions suitable for a child? Of course, fluorine has its merits:

• together with calcium, he takes part in strengthening the enamel of the teeth;
• normalizes the processes of hematopoiesis;
• promotes the full growth of hair and nails;
• removes salts of heavy metals and radionuclides from tissues.

The presence of fluoride in dental products allows you to prevent the appearance of many pathologies of the oral cavity and to resolve the existing ones, namely:

• getting into the enamel structure, fluoride eliminates caries at the stage of the "white spot" and prevents its development;
• when fluorine reacts with enamel components, fluorine hydroxyapatite is formed - this salt restores enamel and starts remineralization of the tooth surface;
• fluorine is responsible for blocking the synthesis of lactic acid, this is essential inhibits the reproduction of pathogens in the oral cavity;
• fluoride deficiency leads to weakening of tooth enamel, causes defects in the skeletal system.

That is why, when choosing the first hygiene product for a baby, it is necessary be sure to consult a dentist... The presence of fluoride in toothpaste for crumbs is of great importance, but its concentration must always exactly correspond to the age, state of health of the child and the current need of the body to ensure full remineralization.

Fluoride is included in toothpastes in the form of several types of compounds.

• Sodium monofluorophosphate - is not particularly effective, since it begins to act only in the fourth or fifth minute of processing.
• Sodium fluoride - has a strong regenerating and antimicrobial effect. Its active components reduce the ability of pathogenic microflora to convert sugar into lactic acid, which creates maximum enamel protection.
• Aminofluoride - considered the most effective compound for the prevention of caries.
• Stannous fluoride - has sufficient efficiency. But at the same time, its side effects appear: such a compound of fluorine first brightens all the restored areas of the enamel, and then causes them to noticeably darken.

To disguise the tasteless ingredients of the toothpaste, flavorings are added to the formulas for babies. This makes the hygiene procedures more pleasant for the child. Commonly used sweeteners include eucalyptus, mint, anise and orange. A series of products with ice cream, caramel, cherry and strawberry flavors has been created especially for the children. It is very important that all dyes and sweeteners are of vegetable origin - any unnatural ingredients can cause tooth decay.

By age, all children can be conditionally divided into several groups.

At this time, the toothpaste should clean the teeth as gently as possible, therefore use a compound with minimal abrasiveness... It is optimal for the product to be edible, since babies in the first years of life still do not know how to rinse their mouths and swallow the composition. It is better to give preference to products without fluoride, its presence is permissible only for medical needs. In this situation, the concentration of the active ingredient should be minimal.

During this period, the transition from milk teeth to molars begins in children. Therefore, it is imperative that the toothpaste is responsible for preventing disease and at the same time reducing the discomfort associated with changing teeth. The abrasiveness of the product at this age should not go beyond 50 units, since the enamel during this period of time is not yet sufficiently strong. The presence of fluorine is allowed in the range of 500 ppm.

In children of this age group, all teeth are already mostly molars, therefore the fluoride content can be increased. Abrasiveness should not be higher than 50 units.

Representatives of the European Association of Pediatric Dentists advise everyone, even toddlers, to use fluoride paste, as this helps to prevent disease-causing processes in the very first stages of development. However, in this case, the age characteristics of children should be taken into account:

• less than 4 years - up to 200 ppm, only as directed by a doctor;
• 4-8 years - up to 500 ppm;
• more than 6 years - 1000-1400 ppm.

These tips are aimed at people living in areas where the concentration of fluoride in tap water is moderate. With an increased or decreased content, the parameters of the active component of the toothpaste can be adjusted. Usually, all the necessary information on the concentration of mineral elements in the water of each specific settlement can be found on the website of the regional water utility.

Thus, fluoride-containing toothpastes are recommended from the age of 4. If carious foci occur, they can be used already in the second year of life. It is better to give preference to formulations with aminofluoride in minimal dosages.

Some types of children's toothpastes contain both fluoride and calcium at the same time. It is advisable to avoid them - in one package, these substances react and form calcium fluoride. This insoluble salt has no therapeutic effect on teeth.

If a baby often has stomatitis in the oral mucosa, it is better to give preference to formulations that, in addition to fluorine, contain a complex of enzymes (lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, as well as lysozyme and glucose oxidase). This helps to increase local immunity.

Toothpaste is considered the basic hygiene product for children's teeth. However, its role in the prevention of diseases in young children is often exaggerated.... Adherence to the rules of oral hygiene in babies, periodic medical examinations and a balanced diet are of much greater importance.