Suggested alternative terms. Child-size toothbrushes containing amounts of toothpaste corresponding to a smear (0.125 g) and a pea-sized (0.25 g) weight were used to prompt discussion of alternate terms or phrases. The most common suggestions to describe
the amount of a smear were "smudge" (N=2) and "little" (N=4). Some terms offered by just one parent were "minimal," "apple-seed size," and "thin coating." Most parents remarked they had never heard the term "smear" in reference to a dose of toothpaste. When asked to provide alternate terms for "pea," the most common suggestion was "drop" (N=4). Other suggestions, less common, were "green pea," "bead," and "child's pinky fingernail
size." Some parents commented that "pea-sized" is not easily understood because there are different sizes of peas.