Prior instruction in brushing a young child's teeth with toothpaste. Twenty-eight (56 percent) parents reported they had received prior instruction in the amount of toothpaste to use for a young child. Of these, 24 (86 percent) said they were taught
by a dentist, two (7 percent) were taught by a pediatrician, and two (7 percent) learned on their own by reading the toothpaste label or baby book. Parents who reported prior instruction applied less toothpaste than those without instruction. The differences between those with and without prior instruction were statistical significant in
response to the smear instruction (0.28±0.22 g vs 0.16±0.13 g; P=.02) and the amount they typically use (0.42±0.26 g vs 0.27±0.19 g; ^=.03). When asked about the type of toothpaste they used at home, 36 (74 percent) parents said they used toothpaste
designed for children and 45 (90 percent) reported the toothpaste they used contained fluoride. In verifying this information by brand, we found that three parents who reported using fluoridated toothpaste named brands that do not contain fluoride