It is a common misconception that we should use large amounts of toothpaste to ensure clean and healthy teeth and gums. However, this is likely just an influence of toothpaste advertisements.

According to a General Practitioner Moorebank NSW ‘less is more’. Using large amounts of toothpaste will simply be a waste of toothpaste and, if you are a small child can lead to adverse effects to your teeth such as fluorosis.

Although cases of dental fluorosis in Australia is uncommon and usually mild in severity, Dentists Moorebank still advise people to practice caution and ensure that you use the right amount of toothpaste, especially for your children.

How Much Toothpaste Should Adults Use?

The recommended amount of toothpaste for adults is not much more than one pea-sized blob of fluoridated toothpaste (standard toothpaste). You don’t need much more than that to maintain healthy dental hygiene.

Fluorosis, which is the decaying effects on teeth from too much exposure to high doses of fluoride (which can be found in toothpaste) – is not a problem for adults. The reason being that adults’ teeth are fully developed and it is only in the developmental stages that teeth might be more vulnerable to fluorosis.

How Much Toothpaste Should Children Use?

Unlike adult’s teeth, children’s teeth are still developing and so are more vulnerable to the effects of fluoride in toothpaste.

How much toothpaste a child should use depends on their age, but 7 years and older can use the same amount of standard toothpaste as adults.

The Australian Dental Association says parents should start brushing their children’s teeth once they appear but not use toothpaste until they’re at least 18 months old.

From around 1 and a half years old, parents can begin using low fluoride toothpaste (but only about the size of a grain of rice) with a soft-bristled brush.

This can continue to increase and at about 3 years old, the child can use a pea-sized amount of toothpaste that is low-fluoride.

Can the Fluoride in Toothpaste Be Harmful If Ingested?

Generally, swallowing toothpaste is not harmful. In the case of a child swallowing toothpaste, the worst you can expect is an upset tummy which can be treated with a glass of milk which helps to bind excess fluoride and get it out of your system.

Instead of using a big glob of toothpaste in one go, it would be smarter and more effective if you used a pea-sized amount twice daily.