Toothpaste swallowing is considered a fairly common phenomenon in young children who are just starting to get used to brushing their teeth. Is it okay if children often swallow toothpaste? What is the best treatment? These are all issues that many parents are concerned about when learning about how to properly care for their children’s teeth during their developing stages. My Auris Dentistry will help you answer whether it is okay to swallow toothpaste through the following article.
What role does toothpaste play?
Swallowing Whether toothpaste is okay or not will be answered after you learn in detail about the role of toothpaste, to help you better understand and choose the right type of toothpaste.
Ancient grandparents have a saying “The tooth and the hair are the corner of a person” showing the importance of caring for and protecting oral health. However, the mouth is a sensitive part and is most susceptible to diseases.
In mild cases, it can be tooth decay, bad breath, discolored teeth, etc. But in severe cases, it can be diseases related to periodontitis, bleeding gums, etc. The cause of these conditions is improper oral hygiene, lack of attention to hygiene.
The process of brushing your teeth regularly with toothpaste can partly help you limit the above medical conditions. The ingredients in toothpaste can help gently clean plaque and bacteria. Thanks to that, you can have bright white teeth with fresh breath, and prevent common dental diseases.
Currently on the market there are many types of toothpaste that suit the needs of many people such as: gel form. powder or paste form,…
In addition, whether swallowing toothpaste is okay for children is still the top concern of parents and it is unknown if it has any effects on health?
Is it okay to swallow toothpaste?
Is it okay to swallow toothpaste is the top concern of parents. For children, it is inevitable that they swallow toothpaste because of hyperactivity and curiosity or without guidance from their parents.
So when children swallow toothpaste, parents will often be very worried. Because there are not a few cases where children encounter these problemsHealth-related problems when accidentally eating toothpaste. According to experts, when children swallow large amounts of toothpaste with high fluoride content, it can have a negative impact on their health. Specifically, some typical signs are as follows:
- Is it okay to swallow toothpaste as it causes teeth to become fluorosis with common signs such as: Teeth appearing streaks or teeth showing signs of discoloration.
- One of the side effects of fluoride that is quite dangerous to the user’s health is that it reduces bone strength, which over time can lead to fragility. Therefore, if a child swallows a large amount of toothpaste, it can affect bone function.
- Is it okay to swallow toothpaste when the toothpaste contains flavoring ingredients, preservatives and whitening agents, etc. When children swallow toothpaste, it also means swallowing these relatively harmful chemicals into the body and negatively affecting the baby’s health.
- A quite serious condition that cannot be ignored when asked if it is okay to swallow toothpaste when it can cause fluoride poisoning.
In addition to fluoride, toothpaste also contains other ingredients that are harmful to your health if accidentally swallowed. like:
- Sorbitol – an ingredient that can potentially cause many intestinal-related diseases such as diarrhea
- Sodium lauryl sulfate foaming agent can cause children to experience conditions such as diarrhea or stomachache,…
As for the question of whether it is okay to swallow toothpaste, the answer is yes, because it can cause negative effects on children’s health. In case of swallowing too much, you need to take your child immediately to a hospital or reputable dental facility for quick treatment to avoid bad complications.
Is it okay to swallow toothpaste and how to fix it? what?
After finding the answer to the question is it okay to swallow toothpaste, to help children limit swallowing toothpaste, parents can overcome this situation well through the following two ways:
How to practicebrushing children’s teeth
In order to limit the bad situation when asking if it’s okay to swallow toothpaste, parents need to get their children used to rinsing their mouth with physiological saline first as well as teach them how to brush their teeth with a soft-bristled toothbrush and clean water. Parents need to guide children how to spit out water in the oral cavity and how to rinse their mouth with clean water.
After a period of practice rinsing and seeing that the child has become accustomed to this, parents can now let the child get used to using toothpaste. Parents need to model it first so their children can observe and follow. At this time, children have the ability to learn and imitate faster and gradually build the best oral hygiene habits.
Choose toothpaste for children
In addition to training children how to brush their teeth to limit the risk of swallowing toothpaste, you need to keep in mind some of the following factors:
Choose toothpaste based on scent
Parents can choose toothpaste for children with gentle scents to create a feeling of enjoyment for children. But it should be noted that toothpaste should not smell too fragrant or taste too sweet, making it easy for children to mistake it for food and swallow it.
Choose based on fluoride content
Is it okay to swallow toothpaste? It is quite dangerous for toothpaste with a high fluoride content. In the case of a 6-year-old child, parents should note that the fluoride content in toothpaste must not exceed 500 ppm. Or even children under 3 years old, need to choose organic toothpastes containing natural ingredients, etc. because at this time children are too young to be aware of spitting out toothpaste.
Children from 6 to 11 years old should use toothpaste with fluoride content of 500 to 1000 ppm. For children 12 years and older, parents can let them use toothpaste with fluoride content from 1000 to 1500 ppm like adults.
Choose based on the amount of foam
While choosing toothpaste, parents need to pay attention to choosing a type with low foam. Because the more foam, the greater the soap composition. When they come into contact with saliva in the oral cavity, soap has the ability to decompose into causative acidsharmful to tooth enamel.
In addition, is it okay to swallow toothpaste at this time which is quite dangerous because it can cause you poisoning, gastrointestinal diseases or diarrhea.
Hopefully this article can answer the question. The most accurate answer to the question is it okay to swallow toothpaste? Parents need to pay attention to instructing children how to brush their teeth to limit the above situation. If you accidentally swallow a large amount, take your child to a hospital or reputable dental facility immediately for treatment as soon as possible.
Yen Nhi
